WC Wisconsin News

A proprietress from Eau Claire has announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rebecca Cooke, the owner of Red’s Mercantile, will run as a Democrat for the open seat in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, Wisconsin Examiner reported.

Cooke hopes to be the successor to Ron Kind (D-La Crosse), who has represented the district for nearly 25 years.

Kind announced earlier this year that he won’t seek reelection, the Examiner reported.

Cooke said that she can bring a fresh perspective to the contest.

“I grew up on a dairy farm and know what it’s like to have to sell your cows because of the price of milk,” she told the Examiner. “I run my own small business. I understand the challenges of how you make ends meet, how to keep things going when shops are opening and closing. I’ve been in the trenches, I’ve experienced failed policy and want to be a changemaker in D.C.”

Aside from running her own business, Cooke is the head of a nonprofit organization that assists women start their own business and serves on the board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

It’s her first foray into politics, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

"One thing we don't need in Washington is more career politicians,” Cooke told WPR. “We need members who look like America, who live in rural areas, who are farmers and small business owners and not millionaires and billionaires."

Cooke’s opponent is Navy veteran Derrick Van Orden, a Republican.

According to the website WisconsinVote.org, Van Orden decided to run for public office because Kind voted to impeach former President Donald Trump “for purely political reasons.”