Rebecca Cooke

Rebecca Cooke was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Cooke's career experience includes working as a small business owner and waitress. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of St. Thomas.[1][2]

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Tackling the affordability crisis head-on with better wages, more economic opportunities and lower taxes for working families.Making health care more affordable and more accessible.Ending the culture of corruption in Washington.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The affordability crisis we’re facing is because of decades of inaction from politicians in Washington DC. I am 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.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am proud to have earned the trust of everyday people throughout the 3rd District, including working families, small business owners, educators, healthcare workers, and farmers. I am also honored to be endorsed in this cycle by a number of labor unions including: IBEW Wisconsin State Conference, Laborers Intl. Union of America, SMART Union, UFCW Local 1743, IUPAT and IUPAT District Councils 7 and 82. Additionally the House Blue Dogs, New Dems and Emily’s List are backing my candidacy as well as Congressional leaders like Senator Baldwin, Senator Slotkin, Cong. Budzinski, Cong. Davids and Cong. Lee and over 15 other members of Congress.

Campaign websiteCooke's campaign website stated the following:Healing our Healthcare SystemWisconsin residents need healthcare relief now – especially on the heels of major hospital closures in Western Wisconsin. We can’t wait for a sweeping bill when people are struggling to have check-ups covered and to pay for monthly prescriptions. As a small business owner who relies on the exchange for my healthcare coverage, I know firsthand the limitations of our current system. Here’s how I think we start to fix it:Expand Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing – the very things that deteriorate as we age.Address antitrust issues in the healthcare system that put the power in a few major corporations and provide consumers with little choice.Take on prescription drug companies, ensuring Seniors can get the drugs they need at prices negotiated through Medicare and that drug companies can’t inflate their prices based on brand or speciality of the drug.Work to improve the Affordable Care Act and healthcare exchange as it exists by providing more tax credits to lower premiums, creating more options on the exchange and simplifying the process to make obtaining health insurance less confusing.Annually lower the age that Seniors can start receiving Medicare benefits – each year expanding the number of Americans covered by Medicare.Increase the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for hospitals so we can continue providing critical care in our rural communities.Creating an Economy Built for Working FamiliesPeople’s pocketbooks are hurting – prices have been rising at the gas pump and the grocery store. It can be tough to make your mortgage or rent payment and have enough money leftover for the essentials. Here’s how I intend to ease those burdens:Take on corporations that are price gouging consumers at the gas pump, and at the grocery store.Expansion of federal community block grants that offer dollars for affordable housing projects, particularly in rural communities in west central Wisconsin where current housing is aging out or doesn’t accommodate growing populations.Tax credits to organizations willing to build low-income and mixed-income housing projects throughout the region to address our lack of affordable housing.Help families buy their first home by deferring property tax payments for first-time home buyers for up to five years.A constituent-centered office with case workers on staff that are seasoned in working to address the issues of constituents. It’s also having a Chief of Staff based in the District, putting the needs of CD-3 first.Child care incubators that provide training and dollars to incentivize start-up in our small towns and rural communities.Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour – which is just the start for creating living wages in our state – with a rolling implementation plan starting with corporate players first, midsize businesses and then small businesses.Fighting for Wisconsin’s Original Entrepreneur – the FarmerI grew up on a farm in Eau Claire that raised registered dairy cattle – Prairie Belle Holsteins. I lived at the fair each summer showing cows in 4-H throughout the region. My family has had a farm in this district for 150 years so when we had to sell our cows because of the price of milk and competition with larger dairies, it wasn’t just losing a job or a business, but a part of our identity and way of life. My family now raises angus beef cattle. Here’s how I intend to protect our livelihood and the heritage of agriculture in this District:Address breakdowns within our supply chain – from the farmer to processors to the retailer.Ensure tax incentives and subsidies are created for small to midsize farms, not just for bigger ag. Our farmers, from dairy to beef to pork producers, are not getting their fair share.Enforce antitrust laws that are impacting the ability for farmers to compete with growing conglomerates. These corporate conglomerates are robbing us of our farming traditions.Restructure the Farm Bill with a greater focus on agriculture and the farming community itself versus the bulky package it has become.Incentivize formation of rural cooperatives that have a proven history of bridging the gap and ensure smaller farmers see a greater share of profit.Work closely and convene quarterly with key partners like UW-Extension, WEDC’s Office of Rural Prosperity, the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the Farm Bureau to remain tapped into the issues affecting the ag community within this region and to inform federal policy making.Provide federal funding to individuals looking to purchase vacant farmsteads to jumpstart our dairy industry and provide new training for folks who didn’t inherit land and skills, but want to learn and earn it.Expand export markets for all commodities.Continue to advocate for funding for important ag pipeline programs like 4-H and FFA within our school districts and counties.Ensuring Seniors Age with DignityWhen my mom had a heart attack, she needed quadruple bypass surgery and left the hospital with a six-figure bill. If it wasn’t for Medicare, there’s no way our family could afford a bill like that. From the cost of critical care to prescription drugs to assisted living we can all agree we want our parents and grandparents to age with dignity. Here’s how I intend to support the people who raised us, our parents, grandparents, church moms and neighbors:Repeal the tax on Social Security for Seniors who are already receiving benefits.Scrap the cap on Social Security so that higher earners are paying their fair share and keeping the program solvent for all of us.Expand Medicare to include vision, dental and hearing coverage.Stand-up to pharmaceutical companies and their outrageous drug prices.Lower the cost-burden of long-term care facilities and predatory beneficiaries.Increase access to long-term care facilities in rural communities and provide tax incentives so Seniors can stay in the communities where their families live and that they’ve called home for decades.Strengthening the Working Class and Empowering UnionsI come from a union family – my brother is a union firefighter in Madison and my sister works for the teacher’s union in Minnesota. I know first hand the issues workers are facing from stagnant wages to stifled organizing efforts. Workers in this state are still feeling the harmful effects of right to work and Act 10 that decimated the power of unions and working class people. Here’s how I intend to work with union leaders to continue restoring power in the labor movement:Work to pass the PRO Act. I will not be an idle advocate for workers rights, but active, and will rally my colleagues to get it passed.Support Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections and working to ensure that every federally funded project that comes to my District has a project labor agreement attached to it.Eliminate IRAPs that undermine the integrity of Registered Apprenticeship Programs.Build authentic relationships with the labor community that keep an open door policy and offer quarterly, consistent opportunities to meet with me in District to discuss legislation and regional issues the labor community faces. Protecting Reproductive Health FreedomsAs a college student, I relied on organizations like Planned Parenthood as my healthcare option for annual exams. I am a firm believer that every person should have the right to make the best decision for themselves about if, when, and how to start or grow a family, free from political or governmental interference. In Congress, I will always protect reproductive healthcare and the personal freedoms of all Wisconsinites. You can count on me to:Make decisions based on scientific evidence rather than politics.Unabashedly support the upholding of Roe vs. Wade.Ensure our two regional Planned Parenthoods in western Wisconsin remain open, federally funded and that Planned Parenthood locations nationwide remain federally supported.Advocate for ending the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits abortion coverage for individuals on Medicaid or Medicare.Support federal programs that improve and increase access to family planning services.Strengthening our Education SystemI am a proud product of Eau Claire public schools – a Sherman Star, DeLong Knight and North High Huskie. We’re seeing greater teacher shortages across Wisconsin and learning shortfalls in our classrooms. In rural communities, funding issues are only exacerbated further – with less funding in the classroom and teachers starting and leaving at alarming rates.Here’s what I’m looking to accomplish:Increase funding to early childhood education like Head Start and preschool.Address our teacher shortage crisis by offering pay increases and signing bonuses. Work with state legislators to advocate for removing the cost of living pay increases, but having salary commensurate with experience in the classroom and increased each year by industry standard set by unions, not 1-2% annually.Treat student loans like mortgage rates, offering the opportunity to refinance when interest rates decline.Advocate for change with funding formulas at the state level to redistribute funding where it needs to be (i.e. poorest districts currently get the least, should get the most).Expand resources to support the mental health of students and teachers in schools.Double the value of Pell Grants for low to moderate income families.Create a work study pipeline that is rooted in community and connection with employers – not just to the university, in order to offer real world experiences for students. Improving Water Quality and Investing in Clean EnergyFrom roundtables in rural corners of this district to downtown discussions in Eau Claire, La Crosse or Point – it’s clear that climate change and the environment are top of mind for constituents – what kind of legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? In Congress I will:Draw federal funds for investment in green energy projects that harness our natural resources like wind, solar and hydro energy. Ensure that as we build new clean infrastructure, we’re relying on union workers to build our future.Support research for implementation of small modular nuclear power that will ensure our grid remains reliable and creates a greater mix of energy resources to draw upon.Work with regional stakeholders and policy makers to rapidly address the PFAS issue in our water – including more testing, remediation and research.Forge relationships and build coalitions with Wisconsin farmers to address issues with run-off that directly impacts water ways creating issues with nitrates and algae blooms.Invest in mass transit – like the elusive high-speed rail we’ve been working to connect west central Wisconsin to bigger marketplaces – increasing tourism and lowering emissions from commutes.Regulate our biggest corporate polluters. Each one of us individually can do our part, but we’ve got to crack down on blighted areas starting in this District and beyond. Keeping Main Streets Strong As an entrepreneur, I know what it’s like to put it all on the line and start a small business with personal savings and elbow grease. We know that the shops, restaurants and small businesses that flank our Main Streets are the lifeblood of communities throughout west central Wisconsin. To keep our commerce centers bustling, here’s what I’ll do:Build coalitions of small business owners that I meet with on a quarterly basis to keep an open dialog on restoring WI mainsteets and cultivating a vibrant start-up scene.Create a regional fund that seeds dollars for second stage growth – investing more deeply in start-ups that are ready to grow, create more jobs and manufacture in Wisconsin.Enforce antitrust laws on larger corporate players who don’t play by the same rules as main street and enjoy tax loopholes.— Rebecca Cooke's campaign website (September 14, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Video for [the profile publisher]

Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased July 10, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

A small business owner, nonprofit leader and waitress, I have focused my 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, I know the economic and social challenges facing the small towns and rural communities for which I’ve fiercely advocated for, from the kitchen table to the board room. I worked my way through college with the help of Pell Grants, local scholarships, financial aid, and multiple jobs. After helping elect changemakers to public office, I 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, I am running for Congress to better serve communities across Wisconsin, put people first and provide more opportunities for success, and be a relentless fighter for our way of life.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Increasing Health Care Access and AffordabilityCreating an Economy Built for Working FamiliesProtecting Reproductive Healthcare Freedoms

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am 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.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

The late Senator Paul Wellstone. He embodied rural populism and crafted policy that met the moment with a laser focus on delivering for working families, our rural communities, and small businesses which power our economies.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

My lived experiences are what uniquely suit me to serve in office. We have too many elitists in Congress, and not enough working folks that have lived the struggles that everyday people face making ends meet.

Even while I am running for Congress, I waitress three days a week and run my non-profit Red Letter Grant which supports and empowers women entrepreneurs throughout 18 counties here in West Central Wisconsin by awarding start-up capital. To date, we’ve helped over 50 small businesses launch in rural communities throughout the last seven years. I understand the needs of my community and working class folks because that is my lived experience.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe that the core responsibilities of a member of Congress are to enact effective and pragmatic legislation which addresses the material needs of the constituents they represent, and to be a responsive advocate for specific casework needs with federal agencies and other institutions.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign has been endorsed by over two dozen local small business owners, multiple local elected officials, the House Blue Dogs Coalition, the New Democrats Coalition, Communication Workers of America – District 4, WelcomePAC, Congresswoman Sharice Davids, Congresswoman Marie Glusenkamp-Perez, Congressman Mike Thompson, Congressmen Jared Golden, Defend the Vote, and Tomorrow’s Jobs.

What committees interest you?

I’d like to serve on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Agriculture Committee. Growing up on a dairy farm and having run multiple small businesses, I can bring those experiences to the decision making table to advocate for family farms and mainstreets. For too long large agricultural conglomerates and large corporations have been price gouging consumers and leveraging their market share to engage in anti-competitive practices. It is past time that we had a Congress actively engaged in reducing the power of corporate monopolies and delivering for small businesses, working families, and small and midsize farms.

Video for [the profile publisher]

Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased November 26, 2021

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Rebecca Cooke is a small business owner and nonprofit leader who 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.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Washington politicians have turned their backs on rural Wisconsinites. For decades, they’ve overpromised and underdelivered on policy, while selling us off to the highest bidder. Family farms are closing daily, small businesses are hurting, and our rights are under attack. We deserve a Congresswoman who understands the struggles that Wisconsin families face firsthand each and every day and has the lived experience to restore hope, our shared sense of community, and real representation for the hardworking people who keep our country going.To build a vibrant and healthy shared future in which everyone can prosper, we need to invest in our rural communities who for far too long have been left behind by the rich and powerful. Our friends, families, and neighbors are endlessly creative people who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and solve problems. Rebecca will advance solutions that lift up western Wisconsin and keep our local economy moving forward.The kitchen table is often the nucleus of the home — where families come together to reflect on their days at school or work, do their homework, share a joke, and break bread. It is also where far too many spend long hours stressing late into the night over household bills. Across our region, families are working harder and harder these days just to make ends meet as the prices of everyday goods continue to go up while large corporations report record-breaking profits. There’s something wrong with this picture.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a small business owner herself, Rebecca also knows the barriers facing entrepreneurs, including access to capital, predatory lending, bureaucratic red tape, and recruiting and retaining staff. The pandemic has only worsened these challenges as many local businesses have struggled to stay afloat or been forced to close permanently, underscoring the need for a strong voice in Congress who sees the bigger picture. Rebecca understands that small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and she will fight tooth and nail to make sure Main Street gets the resources needed to not just survive, but thrive.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Rebecca got her first job off the farm as a server at Mike’s Smokehouse when she was 16 years old. While at North High School in Eau Claire, she was captain of the soccer team, started a business that made and packaged jelly, and launched a project that gave financial support to soldiers coming home from the Iraq war called Relief for the Red Arrows.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think we need leadership who understand kitchen table issues, because they have real lived experience. To me, being a US Congresswoman is about advocating for your community and I don't need previous government experience to do that.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would love to join the Small Business Committee. As the owner of a small business, I understand the challenge of running a small business through COVID..

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

We need bi-partisan solutions to tackle the big challenges that this country faces.