CIVPAC Endorses Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District Democratic Primary
This endorsement should not be read as a general-election endorsement of the Democratic Party. CIVPAC includes members with different views about which party should control Congress. But we are united in believing that, when Democratic primary voters have a choice between practical center-left candidates and far-left or DSA-aligned candidates, the practical center-left candidate is usually more consistent with CIVPAC’s principles.
Wisconsin’s 3rd District is a competitive, Republican-held district. From the perspective of Democratic primary voters, that matters. Primary voters are not only choosing the candidate who best expresses their views. They are choosing a nominee who will have to appeal beyond the activist base, speak to a politically mixed district, and make a plausible case to voters who do not identify with left and right-wing ideological movements.
Rebecca Cooke is the stronger candidate for that task.
Cooke has already run in the district and understands its political geography. Her background in rural Wisconsin, small business, nonprofit work, and service-industry work gives her a practical connection to the voters Democrats would need to persuade. She appears better positioned to make the race about local representation, economic pressure, competence, and practical problem-solving.
Emily Berge brings local experience and energy. But the DSA-backed lane is the wrong fit for the country, the Democratic Party, and for this district in particular. Wisconsin’s 3rd is not a safe urban seat where the Democratic nominee can treat the general election as an afterthought. It is a competitive district currently represented by Derrick Van Orden. Democratic primary voters should take seriously whether their nominee can appeal to independents, moderates, rural voters, and voters skeptical of far-left politics.
CIVPAC does not endorse Cooke because she is the least progressive candidate. We endorse her because she appears to be the Democrat in this primary most capable of combining center-left policy commitments with the practical judgment needed in a competitive district.
CIVPAC believes Rebecca Cooke is the better choice.
CIVPAC endorses Rebecca Cooke in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
CIVPAC welcomes comments, corrections, and opposing views. Please share your thoughts on our Contact Us page. If you are commenting on a particular candidate or race, please include that in your comment.