Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Alder Peter Burgelis joins Democrats challenging US Rep. Bryan Steil
A new Democrat has announced he’ll challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District in southeastern Wisconsin.
And while many national Democrats have been focused on flipping Wisconsin’s sharply competitive 3rd District, in the western part of the state, Milwaukee Alder Peter Burgelis said in his announcement Sunday that he thinks Steil’s district is flippable, too.
“We need a candidate who can get national attention, national money to counteract what Bryan Steil and his billionaire buddies are going to put in the race,” Burgelis said, announcing his bid on WISN-TV’s UpFront.
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Burgelis joins a crowded Democratic primary with no clear frontrunner, up against Steil, who has held the seat since 2019 and is a notedly successful fundraiser.
And the district has been in Republican hands for three decades, and notably held by former House Speaker Paul Ryan for 20 years.
But the district has changed shape since Steil first took office. In new congressional maps drawn by Gov. Tony Evers as part of a redistricting lawsuit in 2022, the district became more competitive.
It lost parts of Milwaukee’s conservative suburbs in Waukesha County, and gained ground around Democratic-leaning Janesville and Beloit. Now, it covers Racine and Kenosha counties, most of Walworth County, part of Rock County and a sliver of southern Milwaukee County.
Burgelis stands out from the current crop of Democratic hopefuls, including union nurse Mitchell Berman and Racine ironworker Randy Bryce, in part because he has held elected office before.
Still, it’s a longshot for a Democrat to unseat Steil, said Anthony Chergosky, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
“It would take a very good year for Democrats, plus a lot of money and the right candidate with the right message to be able to defeat Congressman Steil,” said Chergosky.
The district is on the list of 44 Congressional seats nationwide being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in a quest to flip the U.S. House this November. But according to the Cook Political Report, it leans Republican.
By comparison, the battle for western Wisconsin’s 3rd District is considered a toss-up — and has sparked the national fundraising numbers to match.
And according to Chergosky, Steil is a particularly strong candidate.
“He is an excellent campaigner. He has a full campaign war chest, and his approach to politics seems to resonate fairly well — or better, quite well — with the people in that region,” said Chergosky. “So if the bottom truly does fall out for Republicans, then I can imagine this district becoming competitive, but it would take a truly disastrous cycle for the GOP for Congressman Steil to be in serious jeopardy.”
Back in southeastern Wisconsin, Burgelis starts out with one big factor against him: he doesn’t currently live in the district. The Wisconsin Republican Party quickly seized on that fact Sunday, releasing a statement saying Burgelis will be more focused on Milwaukee than on 1st District constituents.
“Southeast Wisconsin can’t afford an out-of-district Milwaukee politician like Peter Burgelis,” stated WisGOP Spokesperson Anika Rickard. “He needs to decide who he wants to represent: the people of Milwaukee, where he lives and serves as alderman, or the hardworking families of the 1st District, where he has never lived.”
Burgelis responded to that critique, saying that his message of affordability will resonate anywhere.
“Voters don’t care where you live or what the driver’s license address is in my wallet. Voters care where you stand,” he said.
Burgelis has served on Milwaukee’s Common Council since 2024, and is the first openly LGBTQ+ alder. Before that, he was on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, during which time he was reportedly chastised for the way he treated female staffers.
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MILWAUKEE – Investigators say a Milwaukee woman preyed on a little girl, then threatened her life. Erin Conley was charged with repeated sexual assault of a minor and went on the run.
Search for Erin Conley
What we know:
Investigators say the 27-year-old repeatedly forced herself onto the small child, then threatened her life if she told anyone.
“At some point, the child just experienced too much anxiety and stress and the fear of being harmed, which led to her finally coming out and saying something,” the U.S. Marshal said.
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In May 2025, Conley was charged with the repeated sexual assault of a minor. She was never arrested. Investigators have not been able to find her.
What they’re saying:
“It’s very important that Erin gets found and gets taken off the street and away from any children that she decides to prey on next,” the marshal said.
Authorities say Conley has been spotted around Milwaukee County, and is believed to still be in the area.
“We hope Erin would take responsibility for what she did,” the marshal said. “We are not going to let this kind of behavior continue. We can’t.”
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Conley is described as being 5’2″ tall and weighing 220 pounds.
Call with tips
What you can do:
Anyone with information about where Conley is located should call the U.S. Marshals Tipline at 414-297-3707. You will remain anonymous.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – Four people were injured in separate shootings in Milwaukee on Saturday, May 16.
34th and Mt Vernon
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, at about 4:18 a.m., a 31-year-old was shot and taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
53rd and Clarke
What we know:
At about 9:10 p.m., a 54-year-old was shot and went to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
18th and Highland
What we know:
Just before 10 p.m., a 17-year-old was shot and taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
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Unknown location
What we know:
At about 11:39 p.m., a 19-year-old shooting victim arrived at a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
The location of the shooting is not known at this time.
MPD tips
What you can do:
Police are looking for the people responsible for these shootings.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information.
MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s 134th commencement ceremony is this weekend, and for one family, this year’s class proves to be extra special.
Son graduating with honors
What they’re saying:
“It just feels like it hasn’t set in quite yet, but once it does, I’m sure it’ll feel pretty good,” said Will Peters, who is graduating with honors in computer science and as a Wisconsin Army National Guard commissioned officer.
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But there’s another milestone that makes this year’s graduation one that Peters will always remember.
Mother getting master’s degree
What they’re saying:
“He’s getting his undergraduate degree, and I’m getting my master’s degree in nursing,” said Mary Peters, Will’s mother.
That’s right: Both mother and son are crossing the graduation stage. Mary, a UWM academic program specialist as well, said she will cherish the moment forever.
“It’s just exciting, because I graduated from UW-Milwaukee with my nursing degree, my undergraduate, in December 2001,” she said. “I went back for my master’s degree, and I didn’t know that Will and I are going to be graduating the same day.”
Peters family Panther pride
Dig deeper:
Chris Peters is cheering them on, not only as father and husband, but also as a UWM faculty member and alumnus.
“We really hope that Will would carry on what became a family tradition of graduating from UWM. We believe in UWM, we believe that we got a very high-quality education,” he said.
Chris, Mary and Will Peters
Just like his wife, Chris graduated from UWM with a bachelor’s in nursing and eventually earned his doctorate while working for the university.
“I’m very proud of my wife and my son,” he said. “It’s got a lot of the resources of a large university, but it’s still small enough to know you by name and take care of people who needed it, and it’s been a great experience for the whole family.”
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For the Peters family, Panther pride will always run deep.
“We’re Panthers. We’re proud to work here. We’re proud to be alumni here. We’re proud of what UWM has done for us, and we’re now working for the opportunity to give back to the campus and the students,” said Chris.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the Peters family.
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