Source: Jimmie Kaska | Civic Media
Aug 13, 2024, 10:50 PM CST
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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Civic Media) – Rebecca Cooke is the winner of a three-way Democratic primary for Wisconsin Congressional District 3 Tuesday evening.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:45 p.m.
Cooke defeated Assembly Rep. Katrina Shankland and Eric Wilson to secure the party’s spot on the November ballot. She will face incumbent Republican Derrick Van Orden this fall.
Cooke, a businesswoman from Eau Claire, led in vote totals from nearly every county in the state’s third Congressional District. In her home Eau Claire County, she won by over 3,600 votes, according to unofficial returns.
Shankland, who is from Stevens Point, dominated the ballots in Wood and Portage counties, with a nearly 7,000-vote advantage in Portage County alone. However, with most of the district in western and southwestern Wisconsin, the central Wisconsin totals weren’t enough to overtake Cooke.
Cooke took home roughly 49% of the vote to Shankland’s 42%. Wilson, also of Eau Claire, who promoted more progressive policies during the campaign than either of the top two vote-getters, picked up the other 9%.
Wisconsin’s third Congressional district covers the southwestern part of the state along the Mississippi River, as well as part of Central Wisconsin. Six of the UW System’s 13 4-year campuses are in the district.
Republican Derrick Van Orden of Prairie du Chien won his spot in Congress with 51.82% of the vote in 2022, defeating Democratic state Sen. Brad Pfaff of Onalaska. The win was one of several in the country that was under a 5% margin. Cooke lost in the Democratic primary to Pfaff in 2022.
Cooke is a former small business owner and nonprofit leader in Eau Claire County. She’s also worked on other Democratic candidates’ campaigns and highlights her current job in hospitality in campaign messaging.
Cooke’s platform focuses on health care, agriculture, and typically-Democratic subjects like clean energy and public education. Cooke touts her upbringing on a dairy farm as a reason she is motivated to work on agricultural issues.
Like other candidates, Cooke has repeatedly said during her campaign that her top priority is defeating Van Orden in the General Election.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin promoted unity ahead of the November election.
“The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is excited to unite behind Rebecca Cooke tonight, and for the next three months we’re going to do everything in our power to elect Rebecca and make Derrick Van Orden a one-term congressman,” Ben Wikler, DPW Chair, said. “It’s time for a pro-choice Congresswoman who grew up on a dairy farm and fights for working people to replace an anti-freedom disgrace.”
According to Federal Election Commission data that was updated at the beginning of August, covering the campaigns through July 24, Rebecca Cooke had a healthy lead over fellow Democrats Katrina Shankland and Eric Wilson in fundraising.
Cooke has raised $2,007,509.37 so far, with $590,562.86 cash on hand. That’s nearly double the amount raised so far by Shankland ($867,511.52) and Wilson ($181,669.51), and nearly triple the amount of cash on hand ($189,660.70 for Shankland and $29,274.51 for Wilson).
By comparison, Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden has raised $4,779, 789.84, with $2,468,369.63 cash on hand, dwarfing his three Democratic challengers combined.
Campaign finances were a hot topic down the stretch, with Shankland and Cooke trading statements over so-called “dark money” going into Cooke’s campaign.
On Aug. 1, Shankland, Congressman Mark Pocan, and state Sen. Jeff Smith took Cooke to task for accepting super PAC money to run ads attacking Shankland’s legislative record, something Shankland said affects all Democrats in the legislature, not just her campaign.
Cooke’s campaign released a statement after the press conference, saying she “would work with anyone” to defeat Van Orden. The campaign also issued a release that criticized Shankland’s voting record, particularly on health care, and labeled one of Shankland’s video ads in July as an attack ad.
In return, Shankland said in the press conference that attack ads funded by out-of-state political action committees are disappointing.
The negative turn in the primary resulted in no scheduled public debate ahead of the election Tuesday.
You can see your voter registration information, status, or where you can register to vote, see sample ballots, and see who your current elected officials, and the length of their terms, on MyVote Wisconsin’s website.
For more information about Wisconsin elections, you can visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website.
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