U.S. House, Wisconsin 5th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District?
Scott Fitzgerald has the strongest record in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. Scott Fitzgerald scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Scott Fitzgerald's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Andrew Beck (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Andrew Beck
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Scott Fitzgerald
68 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 69
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Andrew Beck
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Scott Fitzgerald
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Yea on the objections to counting Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, WUWM, July 13, 2026
- Credit2025-2026
Chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
- Credit2025-02
Held an open in-person town hall in West Bend where constituents questioned him about DOGE and Ukraine.
Sources: WPR, March 13, 2025, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Yahoo), Feb. 2025
- Credit1995 to 2020
Served in the Wisconsin Senate from 1995 to 2020, including as majority leader in 2004 and from 2011 to 2020.
Source: Ballotpedia, Scott Fitzgerald
- Credit1981 to 2009
Served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1981 to 2009.
Source: Ballotpedia, Scott Fitzgerald
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 17, 2026; no periodic transaction reports on the Clerk index. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076165, House Committee on Ethics site search for Fitzgerald, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Voted against the March 2024 appropriations package, the April 2024 Ukraine supplemental and the December 2024 Social Security Fairness Act, each backed by Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 102, March 22, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 151, April 20, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 456, 2024
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Held an open in-person town hall in West Bend in late February 2025 that drew a heated crowd. No 2026 general election debate record found.
Sources: WPR, March 13, 2025, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Yahoo), Feb. 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Served in the Wisconsin Senate from 1995 to 2020, including years as majority leader, and in the U.S. House since 2021. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Scott Fitzgerald, House Committee on Ethics site search for Fitzgerald
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Voted Yea on the January 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Andrew Beck. Describes a career in health care and business; has not held public office.
Source: WUWM, July 13, 2026
Scott Fitzgerald. In the U.S. House since January 2021, seeking a fourth term, after 26 years in the Wisconsin Senate and service in the Army Reserve from 1981 to 2009.
Sources: Wisconsin Watch 2026 voter guide, Scott Fitzgerald, Ballotpedia, Scott Fitzgerald
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Andrew Beck. Publishes positions in general terms on prescription drug costs, health care, housing and Social Security.
Source: WUWM, July 13, 2026
Scott Fitzgerald. Chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust; publishes issue pages.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Andrew Beck. Answered Ballotpedia's survey (2025), the Wisconsin Watch questionnaire and WUWM's questionnaire, and publishes an issues page (two channels under E8).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Andrew Beck, Wisconsin Watch 2026 voter guide, Andrew Beck, WUWM, July 13, 2026
Scott Fitzgerald. Offers a newsletter, publishes issue pages and held an in-person town hall in 2025. Did not answer the Wisconsin Watch or WUWM 2026 candidate questionnaires.
Sources: Office site, home page, WPR, March 13, 2025, WUWM, July 13, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Andrew Beck. Lives in West Bend, in the district, and calls himself a lifelong Wisconsin resident. All $3,550 in itemized individual contributions reported this cycle came from Wisconsin.
Sources: Wisconsin Watch 2026 voter guide, Andrew Beck, FEC contribution totals by state
Scott Fitzgerald. Lives in Clyman in Dodge County and has represented the area in the state Senate or Congress since 1995. About 41 percent of itemized individual contributions this cycle came from Wisconsin.
Sources: Wisconsin Watch 2026 voter guide, Scott Fitzgerald, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Andrew Beck. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Scott Fitzgerald. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.982 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.194, exceeds expectations.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Missed 29 of 2,915 roll call votes, 1.0 percent, from January 2021 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Office site offers help with federal agencies and lists office locations. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.18541 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 367 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Andrew Beck. No public record found.
Scott Fitzgerald. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District?
Scott Fitzgerald has the strongest record in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. Scott Fitzgerald scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Scott Fitzgerald's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Andrew Beck (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District in 2026?
Andrew Beck (Democratic), Scott Fitzgerald (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Andrew Beck a good candidate for Congress?
Andrew Beck has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Scott Fitzgerald a good candidate for Congress?
Scott Fitzgerald scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Wisconsin race scored, and the Wisconsin 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.