Eau Claire Dem Rebecca Cooke announced today she’s running for a third time to represent the 3rd CD currently held by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.
Cooke’s latest bid comes after she narrowly lost to Van Orden in the November general election. Van Orden won with 51.4% of the vote while running behind President Donald Trump in the district.
Cooke in a statement said she’s running “because Wisconsin families deserve a fair shot and a seat at the table.”
“While Derrick Van Orden cowers and hides from the people of western Wisconsin, big drug companies are jacking up our medicine prices, out-of-touch elites are blocking pathways to homeownership and good jobs, and chaos continues to dominate Washington,” she said. “It’s clear we need more working-class voices in Congress who have lived failed policy and will actually fight like hell to build back the middle class.”
Cooke first ran for the 3rd in 2022, when she lost the Dem primary to state Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska. Pfaff lost the general election to Van Orden, who succeeded longtime U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse.
