Greetings all. Excited to bring you another conversation with one of our compelling candidates on the front lines - Rebecca Cooke who is running to flip WI-03 in Western Wisconsin. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation where she explains why she decided to run for Congress:
Part of my why… why I decided to run originally… was because we lost our farm, and knowing the dairy economy and how that’s been impacted over decades. [What is] kind of adding insult to injury is what this administration has continued to do to our agricultural industry. Tariffs, reciprocal tariffs have really had a huge impact on our soybean farmers, which is a more than billion dollar industry in the state of Wisconsin. And so I’ve been talking with a lot of folks, farm bureau people that I don’t know necessarily would have met with me before. But it’s not just the crop prices that are a real big issue for a lot of folks. Growing up, our family, a lot of times was on and off of health insurance, depending on if my mom got a job in town that had it. And so, the Affordable Care Act is something that I know a lot of farmers have relied on. And I’ve been talking to people that have seen their premiums increased from $400 to $1,300 a month or $40 to $400 a month, which is it’s, I mean, they’re getting squeezed sort of everywhere between crop prices, the insurance premiums, and then I think with the war in Iran and the increased pricing with fertilizer, diesel prices…
it’s kind of like they’re just getting knocked around every which way. And there’s really no relief.
Like so many of our candidates we’ve interviewed in recent weeks Cooke talks about how
there is a sense that Trump has betrayed the promises he made to working people, and folks are looking for leaders for fight for them in what has become a very challenging economy
voters who’ve been tough for us to reach in recent years are more open to hearing from us now, and we need to seize this opportunity to win elections and grow our coalition
Cooke talks to us about what was a very good election in Wisconsin for us this week, where Democrats, in addition to blow it out in the Supreme Court race, flipped two traditionally Republicans cities in her district.
In 2024 Cook outperformed Harris in the district, losing by a little less than 3 points in a district Trump won by more than 7 points (Downballot). With the electorate shifting towards us this cycle, it puts Rebecca Cooke in a strong position to flip WI-03 this year.
Cooke is one of the twelve candidates in our Winning The House campaign, a collection of candidates most likely to flip red House seats blue this year and retake the House for Democrats next January. You can support her by giving to all twelve candidates with one click, or by giving to her directly. You can learn more or volunteer for Cooke’s race at her campaign website.
Thanks to the remarkable, proud, and committed patriots in this community we’ve already raised over $560,000 for these twelve candidates this cycle, and over $3,000,000 for battleground House candidates over the past two years. Amazing stuff all! Let’s keep working it!
If you need a pick me up during these challenges times, watch this interview with Rebecca, or any of the other recent discussions with our Winning The House candidates. I promise spending time with these courageous warriors out there on the front lines - confident, strong, grounded, fighting hard - will lift your spirits and help you better visualize how we win this November.
Keep working hard all. For we have a country to save, an election to win, and candidates like Rebecca to support, together - Simon
Bio - Rebecca Cooke, candidate for the US House running in WI-03
As a small business owner and nonprofit leader, Rebecca Cooke has focused her career on building community and serving others. Born and raised on an Eau Claire dairy farm and appointed by Governor Tony Evers to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Rebecca knows the economic and social challenges facing the small towns and rural communities for which she’s fiercely advocated for, from the kitchen table to the board room.
Coming from a long tradition of Wisconsin farmers who value service and hard work, Rebecca was working on the farm at an early age and training calves to show at the fair by the time she was 7 years old. Like most Wisconsin farm families, it was a struggle to make ends meet, but they were the first to show up for neighbors in need. She was active in 4-H, showing cattle at fairs throughout the state, started waiting tables in high school, and launched a jelly business with her classmates at 16 years old.
Rebecca worked her way through college with the help of Pell Grants, local scholarships, financial aid, and multiple jobs. After helping elect Democrats to public office, she came home to Eau Claire to start a small business and a nonprofit that provides start-up capital and hands-on education for women-owned businesses throughout ten counties in western Wisconsin.
Now, Rebecca is running for Congress to better serve communities across Wisconsin, put people first and provide more opportunities for success, and will be a relentless fighter for our way of life.
