Berge, Cooke Vie For Voters' Support At Final Forum Ahead Of Primary
Aug. 11 partisan election will feature slew of seats up for grabs, from Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District to state's top executive role
It’s time to get into everyone’s favorite two-word phrase: partisan politics. (Hopefully I haven’t lost you, reader, just by slinging that out in the first sentence.)
I'll acknowledge this type of coverage is not what Volume One is known for; it's not what this publication was created for. While we have, for years, shared pre-election voting how-to's – and dabble in hyper-local political/governmental coverage, like city council meetings – we do not make politics a focal point.
This primary election is unique in that the two Democrats running to represent the 3rd Congressional District – which encompasses 19 west-central Wisconsin counties, including most of the Chippewa Valley – are well-known Eau Clairians: nonprofit founder and former campaign consultant Rebecca Cooke of Eau Claire, and Emily Berge, licensed therapist and former Eau Claire City Council president.
One of them will be voted to face incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) this fall, ultimately determining who represents our slice of the state in Washington, D.C. and beyond for at least the next couple years.
To that end, here's our brief overview on what to expect if you go to the polls for the primary on Aug. 11.
Example ballots for those in the 54703 (Eau Claire) zip code (enter your address at myvote.wi.gov to see personalized example ballots):
An example ballot for the Aug. 11 primary election, if voters select the Democratic party and live in the 54703 zip code.
An example ballot for the Aug. 11 primary election, if voters select the Republican party and live in the 54703 zip code.
Primary elections face a unique set of circumstances, in that they require citizens to vote within a single political party; determining one party candidate per contested seat, ahead of the fall general elections.
In the current race for Wisconsin’s top executive role – an open race for the first time since 2010, as Gov. Tony Evers is not seeking reelection and plans to retire – Democratic voters must choose from five candidates: former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former state Secretary of the Dept. of Administration Joel Brennan, state Sen. Kelda Roys, state Rep. Francesa Hong. and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (who was not named in the July 23 print version of this article, as he had yet to announce his re-entering the race following Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez's dropping out prior to Volume One's going to press).
On the Republican end of the gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has all but sealed his spot as the party's candidate, though voters have yet to formally choose between Tiffany or political newcomer Andrew Manske.
Then, there's the contested 3rd Congressional District race, which we'll get into a bit more down below.
Zooming In On The 3rd Congressional District
The Aug. 11 primary will determine which 3rd Congressional District hopeful – Cooke or Berge, both Eau Claire residents – will face incumbent Van Orden in the fall general election.
This will be Cooke’s third consecutive run for the 3rd District seat and her second against Van Orden. In 2024, Van Orden held his seat against her by less than three percentage points.
Perhaps the most notable change in Cooke’s campaign, this time around, comes not from Cooke’s own messaging but that of her supporters – namely, the high-profile figures voicing their approval.
Both candidates (Cooke and Berge) said they would support voters' decision, no matter which of them is selected to face Van Orden in the fall.
Establishment Democrats and politicians, ranging from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, are among those who have publicly thrown their support behind Cooke.
While the 3rd District seat is still considered a toss-up, those endorsements carry sway one way or the other. While some see Cooke’s national backing as an indicator of her likelihood to win the seat, others have criticized the perceived interference by out-of-state politicians.
Fellow contender Berge, for instance, has explicitly spoken on the topic – including during a recent Eau Claire event.
Incidentally, the fourth and final candidate forum including Cooke and Berge ahead of the primary was held in Eau Claire on Tuesday, July 14.
Hosted by the Eau Claire County Democratic Party and the 3rd CD Democrats of Wisconsin, the candidates were asked a total 15 questions with limited response time. The event ran from about 6:30-8pm with an audience of roughly over 100.
The forum’s topics ranged from local and statewide issues – like the candidates’ thoughts on healthcare access and the state of education in Wisconsin – to wider-scope queries including social issues, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the United States’ outer space endeavors.
In closing remarks, Cooke leaned into her five-plus years of experience running for the 3rd. "I've done events for many, many years. This is my twelfth forum," she said. "I think you might know a little bit about what I'm about.
"I want to heal our broken healthcare system. I want to support our small businesses on main street. I want to bolster our agricultural economy. I want to combat corruption at all levels and I want to reimagine what it looks like to build an American dream that we can actually grasp and feel," Cooke said.
For Berge's part, she told the forum's audience she had a phone call with out-of-state officials to discuss her potential campaign. Berge said she was told not to run.
"They said, 'we have our candidate.' I remember arguing with them and saying 'no, it's up to the voters,' " Berge said. "(They responded) 'No, (Cooke) has the most money, we want her. We don't want a primary."
That moment, Berge said, is when she decided to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat.
Both candidates said they would support voters' decision, no matter which of them is selected to face Van Orden in the fall.
The public forum was live-streamed and can be viewed online.
View an example ballot and find your in-person polling place ahead of the Aug. 11 primary election by clicking the "What's On My Ballot" tab at myvote.wi.gov • If you plan on voting via mail, you must request an absentee ballot by Aug. 6, 2026
