Eau Claire business owner Rebecca Cooke launches bid for Congress in Wisconsin's competitive 3rd District

MADISON – An Eau Claire small-business owner announced a run for Congress Wednesday, seeking to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind. 

Rebecca Cooke, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in the competitive 3rd Congressional District, owns a boutique in Eau Claire and is a member of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.'s board.

"I think for me it was kind of really important to come off the sidelines. I'm a doer and I really feel Washington is broken and ran by career politicians that have left us behind," Cooke, 34, said. "It's going to be a campaign to bring people to the table (under) a big umbrella regardless of where you stand … I think there’s a lot of power in showing up for people."

Cooke owns Red's Mercantile in Eau Claire, self-described as a "lifestyle shop in the heart of the Midwest." She also founded a nonprofit in 2016 called the Red Letter Grant that provides support for new female business owners by making available start-up capital, technical assistance and networking opportunities. The organization has helped launch 23 businesses, according to Cooke. 

Her entrance to the race creates a Democratic primary on Aug. 9, after former Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary and state Sen. Brad Pfaff of Onalaska announced his run last week. Former U.S. Navy Seal Derrick Van Orden, who was narrowly defeated by Kind in 2020, is running as a Republican. 

The race will have a high profile nationally. Kind was one of just seven House Democrats in the country to represent a district that was carried by Donald Trump in 2020.

Cooke would be the first woman to represent the Third Congressional District if elected.

Like Pfaff, Cooke grew up on a dairy farm and is focusing on issues facing rural areas of Wisconsin and farmers. She said her family sold their farm's herd of Holsteins in the early 2000s because of low milk prices and competition with larger dairy operations. 

"I bring a lot of fresh perspective from growing up on a dairy farm, knowing what it's like to sell your cows because of the price of milk ... I've been in the trenches and I've really experienced failed policy," she said. 

Cooke said expanding broadband internet access to improve education and health care outcomes, and stabilizing milk prices for dairy farmers, are key issues facing the region.

She said she does not yet have proposal to address the issue of contaminated drinking water with man-made chemicals that have been linked to certain cancers, known as PFAS. 

The "forever chemicals" forced Eau Claire officials this week to shut down half of its 16 drinking wells. The Evers administration expects to spend $600,000 annually to provide bottled drinking water to residents of French Island near La Crosse for the same problem. Both areas are within the 3rd district. 

"It’s something I’m still getting up to speed on," she said. 

Cooke said Democratic voters should choose her over Pfaff because he represents "old status quo."

"Brad is a nice guy but I think when you look at his past as more of a career politician ... I have these real, lived experiences. I have lived policy — I'm not just making it. I've lived when it failed and I want to create something that works for everybody," she said. 

Before opening Red's Mercantile in 2016, Cooke worked on political campaigns and started a consulting firm in 2015. 

Van Orden, who isn't acknowledging the Democratic candidates entering the race by name, released a statement about a "generic Pelosi-approved rubber stamp" Democrat — the same statement he issued when Pfaff entered the race.

Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.