Brad Smith

Why should voters send you to congress?

I'm a lifelong Wisconsinite, Army veteran, dad, and business leader. I’m running because too many families are working harder than ever and still falling behind while billionaires and special interests keep getting ahead. My three key campaign pillars: a fair economy, including good-paying jobs that stay in Wisconsin, affordable healthcare as a fundamental right, and education and job training for every path, whether that’s college, the trades, or an apprenticeship. I’ve led soldiers in combat, built businesses, and raised a family here in the 6th District. I know the challenges our communities face because I’ve lived them. I’m not running to serve a party or special interests. I’m running to serve the people of Wisconsin and help rebuild a stronger middle class.

What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?

The core problem: The economy is no longer working for the people who keep it running. Wages aren’t keeping up with rent, groceries, childcare or healthcare. Good jobs are being shipped out or automated away, while the cost of just living life keeps climbing. Solutions:

1) Raise wages by strengthening the right to organize and bargain so workers actually have leverage again.

2) Stop rewarding companies that outsource jobs or cut corners after taking public support. If taxpayers help fund you, you should be creating jobs in the district.

3) Bring down the big cost drivers: healthcare, prescription drugs, childcare, and housing.

4) Invest in training and apprenticeships so workers can move into the jobs that are growing instead of getting left behind by automation and AI.

What expertise would you bring into congress? How would it help your district?

As a veteran, business leader, and first-generation college graduate, I would bring practical, real-world experience to Congress. My experience in the Wisconsin National Guard taught me discipline, accountability, and the importance of putting country over politics. My business background taught me how to manage budgets, support workers, lead teams through times of change, and make decisions that strengthen communities. And because the GI Bill changed my life, I understand how education and training can open doors and change a family's trajectory for generations. I would use that experience to fight for good-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, strong schools, and real solutions that help Wisconsin’s 6th District move forward together.

Should Congress exert more oversight over the president? Why or why not?

Congress not only should exert oversight over the president, it has a duty to do so. The founders didn’t create a system for blind loyalty to any one person in power. They built checks and balances because power concentrates fast, and when it does, working people pay the price. Oversight means sunlight. It means demanding answers when agencies overreach, when taxpayer dollars are misused, or when decisions are made behind closed doors that affect families in Wisconsin. This isn’t about party. It’s about responsibility. If Congress stops doing its job, it stops protecting the people it represents. I’ll support strong, serious oversight of any president, Republican or Democrat, because accountability isn’t optional; it’s the job.

What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?

Wisconsin is where Earth Day was born. In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin helped spark a national environmental movement by organizing the first Earth Day, a moment that started here and spread across the country and the world. It’s one of those quiet Wisconsin facts that says a lot about us: we don’t just talk about protecting the outdoors, we’ve led on it.