Bryan Steil

Bryan Steil
Born	Bryan George Steil 3 3, 1981
Birthplace	Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney, businessman, politician
Known for	U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district; Chair of the House Administration Committee
Education	Georgetown University (BS) University of Wisconsin–Madison (JD)
Website	[[steil.house.gov steil.house.gov] Official site]

Bryan George Steil (born March 3, 1981) is an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district since January 2019. Born and raised in Janesville, Wisconsin, Steil succeeded former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in a seat that encompasses southeastern Wisconsin, including parts of Racine, Kenosha, and Janesville. A graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Wisconsin Law School, Steil worked as an attorney and businessman before entering electoral politics. Since January 2023, he has served as chair of the House Administration Committee, a position through which he has advanced legislation related to election administration, voting requirements, and housing affordability. Prior to his election to Congress, Steil served as a member of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, an appointment that gave him experience in public governance and higher education policy.

Early Life

Bryan George Steil was born on March 3, 1981, in Janesville, Wisconsin, a city in Rock County situated in the southeastern part of the state. Janesville, historically a manufacturing center along the Rock River, served as the hometown of several prominent political figures, including Paul Ryan, whom Steil would eventually succeed in Congress.

Steil grew up in the Janesville area, where he developed roots in the community that would later form the core of his congressional district. Details about his parents and family background during his childhood years are limited in publicly available records, though his long-standing ties to Janesville and Rock County have been a consistent element of his public identity and political campaigns.

Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, which Steil would come to represent, covers a swath of southeastern Wisconsin that includes portions of several counties. The district has historically been a competitive political landscape, though it leaned Republican during much of the early 21st century under Paul Ryan's representation.

Education

Steil attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Georgetown, one of the oldest Catholic and Jesuit universities in the United States, provided Steil with an education at a nationally prominent institution with strong connections to American politics and public policy.

Following his undergraduate studies, Steil returned to Wisconsin to pursue a law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The University of Wisconsin Law School is among the leading public law schools in the Midwest and has produced numerous attorneys, judges, and politicians who have served in Wisconsin and national government. Steil's decision to return to Wisconsin for his legal education reflected his continued connection to the state and positioned him for a career in Wisconsin law and politics.

Career

Pre-Congressional Career

After completing his legal education, Steil worked as an attorney and businessman in Wisconsin. His professional background prior to entering Congress included work in the private sector, which he cited during his campaigns as providing him with an understanding of business and economic issues.

Steil also served as a member of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, the governing body responsible for overseeing the University of Wisconsin System's universities and colleges across the state. This appointment, made by the governor of Wisconsin, gave Steil experience in public governance, higher education policy, and institutional oversight. The Board of Regents is a significant policy-making body in Wisconsin, responsible for setting tuition rates, approving budgets, and establishing academic and administrative policies for the multi-campus university system.

2018 Congressional Campaign

Steil's path to Congress opened in April 2018, when Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced that he would not seek reelection to his seat representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. Ryan had held the seat since 1999 and had risen to become the highest-ranking Republican in the federal government as Speaker. His retirement created an open-seat race that attracted significant attention both within Wisconsin and nationally.

Steil launched his campaign for the seat, running as a Republican in the August 2018 primary election. His candidacy received a significant boost when Paul Ryan endorsed him for the position. Ryan's endorsement was seen as a meaningful development in the primary race, signaling the outgoing Speaker's preference for his successor.

In addition to Ryan's endorsement, Steil received public support from President Donald Trump, who tweeted his backing of Steil along with other Wisconsin Republican candidates, including Leah Vukmir and Governor Scott Walker. The combination of endorsements from both the outgoing Speaker and the sitting President provided Steil with substantial political backing within the Republican primary.

Steil won the Republican primary election in August 2018, securing the party's nomination for the general election.

In the November 2018 general election, Steil faced Democratic nominee Randy Bryce, an ironworker and union activist who had initially launched his campaign to challenge Paul Ryan before Ryan's retirement. The race attracted national media attention, with Bryce's candidacy drawing support from progressive organizations and labor unions, while Steil positioned himself as a continuation of the district's Republican representation.

During the campaign, Steil outlined his positions on several key issues, including border security, economic policy, and trade. He emphasized his support for a border wall as a component of immigration enforcement. The campaign also saw accusations of outsourcing and anti-Semitism directed at Steil, which he rejected publicly.

Steil won the general election in November 2018, defeating Bryce and securing the seat for the Republican Party.

Service in Congress

Steil was sworn into office on January 3, 2019, as the representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, succeeding Paul Ryan. Upon taking office, Steil reiterated his support for border security measures, including a physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, which was a central policy debate during the first months of 2019.

Steil has been reelected to Congress in subsequent election cycles, continuing to represent the 1st district. His campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission document his ongoing electoral participation.

House Administration Committee Chairmanship

In January 2023, Steil became chair of the Committee on House Administration, succeeding Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, who had led the committee during the previous Congress. The House Administration Committee has jurisdiction over federal elections, the day-to-day operations of the House, and oversight of several federal entities including the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress.

As chair, Steil has used the committee as a platform to advance legislation related to election administration and voting requirements. In early 2026, he introduced a comprehensive election reform package that included provisions related to voter identification requirements and election security measures. The election reform package reflected Steil's focus on voting integrity issues as a central component of his committee chairmanship.

In February 2026, ahead of a House vote on a Republican-backed bill requiring voter identification for federal elections, Steil stated publicly that individuals without identification documents "need" to be able to obtain them free of charge in order to vote. This position represented an effort to address concerns about the potential impact of voter ID requirements on access to voting. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty also traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for voter ID and election security measures in conjunction with these legislative efforts.

Housing Legislation

Beyond election-related matters, Steil has pursued legislation on housing affordability. In February 2026, the House of Representatives passed the Housing for the 21st Century Act, legislation that Steil led. The bill addressed housing affordability issues, a topic of growing national concern amid rising housing costs across the United States.

House Fair Growth Committee

Prior to assuming the chairmanship of the House Administration Committee, Steil served as the ranking member of the House Fair Growth Committee from June 17, 2021, through January 3, 2023. This was a newly established position, and Steil was its first ranking member. The position was subsequently abolished when the committee structure changed in the new Congress.

Political Positions

Steil has staked out positions on several policy areas during his time in Congress. On immigration and border security, he has supported the construction of a physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, describing a wall as "a key component" of border enforcement during his first days in office.

On election policy, Steil has championed voter identification requirements for federal elections while simultaneously stating that government-issued IDs should be available at no cost to those who need them.

On trade policy, Steil has faced criticism from some groups in Wisconsin. In early 2026, the organization Opportunity Wisconsin criticized Steil and fellow Wisconsin Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden for voting in favor of tariff measures that the group argued raised costs for Wisconsin families. A separate report from the same organization, released ahead of the 2026 State of the Union address, argued that the legislative records of Steil and Van Orden were contributing to increased costs for Wisconsin residents.

Public Reception and Constituent Relations

Steil's tenure in Congress has generated both support and criticism from constituents and commentators. In January 2026, author Jane Hamilton published an opinion piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describing her experience of calling Steil's congressional office daily over a period of 285 days following President Trump's 2025 inauguration. The piece reflected constituent engagement efforts and frustrations with communication from the congressman's office.

In February 2026, a letter to the editor published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel criticized Steil, along with Senator Ron Johnson and Representative Scott Fitzgerald, for what the letter writer characterized as enabling President Trump's agenda.

Personal Life

Bryan Steil resides in Janesville, Wisconsin, the city where he was born and raised. His continued residence in the community he represents in Congress has been a feature of his political identity, connecting him to the southeastern Wisconsin district he serves.

Steil's professional background prior to Congress included work as an attorney and businessman in Wisconsin. His membership on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents also reflected his involvement in civic and institutional life in the state prior to entering Congress.