Eau Claire Hosts Final Third District Democratic Candidate Forum

The two Democratic candidates for Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District took part in their final candidate forum in Eau Claire this week.

The event at Chippewa Valley Technical College on Tuesday night gave local residents their last chance to hear from 2024 Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke and former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge together before the primary election. Prior to the forum, Cooke shared her thoughts on why she’s running for the seat again and why she thinks she’s the best choice for voters.

“I’m feeling energized and excited to share why I’m running for Congress here in the Third Congressional District,” she said. “This is not my first go at it. I think that we need more people to represent us in Congress that aren’t so far left or so far right, but want to work across the aisle to get things done, and more working class folks. I grew up here in Eau Claire on a dairy farm, I’ve run a small business, and I waitress while I’m running for Congress. And so I’m excited to share why I feel like I’m the best suited to take on Derrick Van Orden and to win back the House majority.”

Following the forum, Berge shared her excitement about the final stretch of the campaign before the primary election, highlighting the grassroots support she believes will lead her to victory in August and November.

“I feel great about it,” she said. “We’re having such great momentum right now, so many people are so excited to volunteer. We have over 600 people who have signed up to volunteer for our campaign. Like that’s what it’s about, that’s that grassroots power which shows how we’re going to win in August, August 11th. But then we’re going to take that people power and win in November. And we’re not going to stop in November, we’re going to keep fighting for the people of Wisconsin because that’s what it’s about and I feel so good about that strength of our campaign. It’s not about me, it’s about all of us and I feel really good about that.”

Questions at the forum covered a wide range of topics with local impacts in the Eau Claire area, including healthcare access, data center development, and the state of the economy. The primary election will take place on August 11th. The winner will look to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden in the November election.