College administrator says school board victories show he can win 1st Congressional District

College administrator says school board victories show he can win 1st Congressional District

Erik Gunn

Thu, December 18, 2025 at 11:15 AM UTC

4 min read

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Miguel Aranda speaks with Democratic Party members after a party meeting in Kenosha on Nov. 6, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Aranda congressional campaign)

In Miguel Aranda’s bid to be the Democratic nominee for Congress in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, the college administrator says he brings a variety of assets.

One is local political experience. In his second term on the Whitewater School District school board, he serves as vice president. Board elections are nonpartisan.

“I’m not in politics because I want to make a career out of it,” Aranda said in a recent interview. “I can work across the aisle.”

Aranda, 35, is one of a growing number of hopefuls aiming for the Democratic nomination to run against Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, now in his fourth term. Other declared Democratic candidates are ironworker Randy Bryce, emergency room nurse Mitchell Berman, Racine community activist Gage Stills and Janesville union leader Enrique Casiano.

“I’m the only one who has won a political campaign,” Aranda said. “I know how important it is to bring people together and stay united.”

The Cook Political Report’s most recent update, Dec. 9, maintained the 1st District’s projected 2026 outcome as “likely Republican.” Despite such forecasts, in the current cycle the district has drawn a broader array of potential Democratic opponents than it has seen in years.

The party’s last contested primary came in 2020. In 2024, what was expected to be at least a three-way primary race was avoided after Peter Barca’s late entry into the contest led the rest of the field to drop out by summer.

Aranda is the associate director of a college readiness program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

A Spanish speaker and an active Democratic party volunteer for the last 15 years, Aranda has organized bilingual workshops at party events. When the Whitewater school district held a referendum to raise property taxes in support of school district operations in 2022, Aranda said, he did presentations directed to the local Spanish-speaking community.

Public education is one of his top campaign priorities, he said. While funding is primarily a state and local function, the federal role in supporting public schools is important, he said, and he opposes the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the federal Department of Education.

“There’s a lack of public education funding,” Aranda said. “Local constituents are going to feel it in their pocket. Republicans aren’t doing much to assist in our investment for the future.”

Aranda’s parents, both Mexican immigrants, settled in Whitewater in the early 1990s, he said, and he grew up in the community, which straddles the line between Walworth and Jefferson counties.

“When we came to Whitewater, the only people that helped us were public school teachers,” Aranda said of his family’s experience.

He said immigration reform is another of his campaign’s concerns. On that, “there’s a lot of things at the local level we cannot do,” Aranda said. “I truly believe immigration reform that is comprehensive and fair will help not just public education but a lot of the scarcity and pain that people are feeling.”

Aranda has a master’s in business administration. He’s also held a variety of other jobs, he said, giving him the sort of direct experience he believes many voters can identify with.

“I’ve worked in call centers, custodial services and fast food,” Aranda said. “People want a good, stable job — this message is very simple. That’s what I want to guarantee for others.”

He supports a proposal advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, for a federal law setting the minimum pay for public school teachers at $60,000.

“Republicans say you can’t do that, but now you see ICE [agents] offered more money and debt forgiveness,” Aranda said.

While Aranda is not the only Hispanic entrant in the Democratic contest, he considers an ability to appeal to Hispanic voters to be one of his selling points. The 1st District has “a lot of Latino potential voters,” Aranda said. “They’ve been frustrated with both political parties.”

Aranda said he’s been traveling throughout the district to meet with Democratic Party groups and solicit their support. He also has been trying to educate and engage casual voters and non-voters, he said.

He described a recent visit to a college organization of Latino students. After introducing himself and his campaign for the 1st District, “Nobody knew who their representative was,” he said.

“Some don’t know what a Republican or a Democrat is and what they stand for,” he added. “Republicans take advantage of that, too.”

Aranda believes motivating more people who have been largely detached from politics to take an interest and go to the polls can help Democrats flip the seat.

“I think there’s a huge opportunity there,” he said. “I think there’s an opportunity for younger voters, too — for their voice to be heard.”

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