Democratic candidates Rebecca Cooke and Emily Berge took part in the final candidate forum Tuesday night before the Aug. 11 primary in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, trading talking points on health care, anti-gun measures, and of course their mutual hatred of President Trump as they seek to challenge Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden this fall.
Cooke, a longtime Democrat Party operative who has worked as a consultant and fundraiser for a number of candidates including Kirk Bangstad—the deeply deranged Minocqua Brewing Company owner known for promoting a “free beer day” upon President Trump’s death—told the audience she has experience balancing multiple roles.
“I’ve always worn multiple hats to make ends meet, which is not unlike many people here in Wisconsin,” she said.
Berge, a mental health counselor and former Eau Claire City Council president, emphasized her local governing experience.
“I have the experience to hit the ground running on day one, which is desperately needed right now,” she explained.
Both candidates backed staple left-wing policies such as eliminating fossil fuels and “health care for all.”
“I believe everyone deserves access to health care, including mental health care, full stop,” Berge said, calling for Democrats to prioritize overhauling the system and expanding Medicare if they regain the House.
Cooke and Berge both tacked left on the Second Amendment as well, throwing their support behind controversial and potentially unconstitutional red flag laws.
“It’s important we want everyone to be responsible gun owners,” Cooke said. “People ask me, ‘Are you going to take away our guns?’ and the answer is no.”
Red flag laws do, in fact, allow government agencies to take guns away from individuals if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The laws are highly controversial because they often allow a person to be deemed high-risk without allowing for a chance to rebut the designation. This raises significant due process concerns and potentially allows for unconstitutional government seizure of property.
A crowd of about 150 attended the forum at Chippewa Valley Technical College. Cooke, who lost to Van Orden by less than three percent in 2024, has led the Democratic field in fundraising. Berge has picked up endorsements from state Sen. Jeff Smith and other local officials.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) dismissed the forum as a contest to determine which candidate could move more radically to the left.
“Four forums later, the only thing Rebecca Cooke and Emily Berge have made clear is that they’d be better suited to represent Zohran Mamdani’s socialist-run New York than the hardworking families of rural Wisconsin,” RNC spokesman Hunter Lovell said in a statement. “No matter who wins this primary, they’ll be running on the same woke, far-left agenda while Congressman Derrick Van Orden keeps fighting for rural families, farmers, veterans, and workers.”
Cooke and Berge will square off in next month’s primary, with the winner advancing to the November general election in the western Wisconsin district spanning 19 counties that is seen as one of the most competitive in the nation.
