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There is a little under a month to go until Wisconsin’s Aug. 9 primary, and on that ballot will be the battleground race for the state’s 3rd Congressional District.
Four Democrats and one Republican are officially on the ballot, and the primary will narrow the field to one from either party to face off in November’s general election.
The Tribune sent the candidates a series of questions and will publish responses today through Wednesday.
Below are the candidates’ biographies and responses to the first question.
Age: 34
Family: Single
Job: Small business owner of Red’s Mercantile and founder of nonprofit Red Letter Grant
Cooke
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Board member and secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, 2019-2021
Education: Degree in marketing and public relations from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.
Email or website: CookeForWisconsin.com/info@CookeForWisconsin.com
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
Wisconsin’s rural communities are struggling to get by and working families need a relentless fighter who has been in their shoes to deliver results. I was raised on a dairy farm in Eau Claire by my parents, who came from a long line of farmers, veterans and union members. After working through college, I opened a small business in Eau Claire and founded a nonprofit to invest in small, women-owned businesses. I was honored when Gov. Evers recognized my work with an appointment to the state commerce board. Washington hasn’t been putting working families first. I’m running for Congress because I understand the squeeze folks are feeling from healthcare to housing to the cost of everyday goods like gas and groceries, and know we can do better.
Age: 68
Family: Married, two adult children and one in high school
Job: La Crosse Common Council member, District 13
Prior elected office: La Crosse Common Council, 2021-present
Other public service: Previous congressional candidate in 2020, and politically active on Democratic campaigns and issues since 2017. Member of La Crosse County Democratic Party, Our Wisconsin Revolution, Citizen Action Wisconsin, Physicians for a National Health Program. Member of the Franciscan Order from 1976 to 1996, serving for six years as a foreign medical doctor in Zaire, Africa.
Mark Neumann
Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn; M.D. from University of St. Louis Medical School; pediatric residency at University of Chicago; Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship at UW-Madison
Email or website: markneumannforcongress.com/mark@markneumannforcongress.com
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
It is easy to appreciate the divisiveness of our American political experience. This divisiveness interferes with functional democratic government. All elected representatives need to break free from the gridlock of “party politics.” We need to be free to represent our constituents and every American without beholding to party, religion, creed or money-powered special interests.
I am free from seeking a new career after having completed 35 years of successful service as a pediatrician. I don’t need to become a career politician at this point in my life, and I am free to serve in ways that may not always be the most politically expedient. I am free from political party entrapment, willing to be called the “non-establishment” candidate as I try to promote progressive public policy for the benefit of all of us and not just the wealthy and powerful few. I am free from expectations owed to money-powered special interests having made no deals for political campaign funding our personal marketing.
Most certainly, I have personal maturity from years of life experience as a doctor and Franciscan brother. Facing the risks of corruption in Washington, my biggest challenge will be to maintain my personal integrity. I can do that.
Age: 61
Family: Married, three children, one step-daughter, two grandchildren
Job: Former U.S. Army Captain, retired CIA officer, mother
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Voting Assistance Officer, U.S. Army Installations and U.S. Embassies, Interims, 1988-2008; volunteer in various humanitarian operations during world-wide assignments; League of Women Voters, 2018-present
Education: Master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.; master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas; bachelor’s degree in American government from the University of Virginia; certificate in executive leadership from the University of Notre Dame; certificate in theology from Princeton University; currently pursuing a certificate in organizational development from Harvard University
Email or website: debmcgrathforcongress.com/info@debmcgrathforcongress.com
McGrath
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
I was born and raised in Menomonie and am a former Army captain, CIA officer and mother of three. My father, the late Congressman Al Baldus, grew up on a farm and taught me the value of hard work. My drive to serve our country led me to become an Army officer after college, and I went on to serve over two decades in the Army and CIA. Now, I see some of the chaos and instability I fought against while serving abroad, here at home: the Jan. 6 attack on our Capitol, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and more. Meanwhile, families in western central Wisconsin are struggling to get by as the cost of living continues to rise, and politics in Washington prevents meaningful change.
I am a proven leader with over 25 years of national service in the Army and CIA. I have been recognized for my ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, listen to their concerns, and solve problems. As a wife and mother, I understand the challenges that families are facing. I’ve spent my entire life fighting for our rights in our toughest war zones, and now, I am stepping up to serve here at home.
Age: 54
Family: Married, two children
Job: Wisconsin State Senator, District 32
Prior elected office: Wisconsin State Senate, 2020-present
Other public service: State executive director and national deputy administrator for Wisconsin Farm Service Agency (USDA), and Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture
Education: Master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., and a Bachelor of Science from UW-Green Bay
Email or website: bradpfaff.com
Sen. Brad Pfaff represents the 32nd Senate District, which includes La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, and southern Monroe counties.
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
I have been fighting for the people of rural Wisconsin my entire life. I was raised on a dairy farm in northern La Crosse County, went to work for U.S. Sen. Kohl and Congressman Kind on rural and agriculture issues, and then to the Obama Administration in the United States Department of Agriculture. Afterwards I went on to serve as Gov. Evers’ Secretary of Agriculture and when Republicans in Madison voted me down, I won a seat in the State Senate. There’s nobody in this race, on either side of the aisle, that knows this district like I do and that has been fighting for it and its people like I have.
Age: 52
Family: Married, four children, eight grandchildren
Job: Retired senior chief, U.S. Navy SEAL
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: United States Navy, 26 years, Navy SEAL Teams, 21 years
Education: Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College
Email or website: vanordenforcongress.com
Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, who running unopposed for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional district. A former Navy SEAL, he served two six-month tours in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2009.
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
I am a husband, father and grandfather, veteran and small business owner. I have lived and worked on five of the seven continents as a Navy SEAL, led thousands of young Americans in peacetime and war and will bring all of these experiences to Congress to represent my neighbors here in southwest Wisconsin.
I am not a career politician and understand the title of the job I am applying for is “representative.” That is exactly the role I will fulfill if elected.
Career politicians have run this country into the ground and everyday Americans are paying for it.
The Democratic Party has had complete control over our government for the last two years giving us record inflation, the highest gas prices ever, an open border and unprecedented crime.
It is time for a change in governance and that change starts right here in our congressional district.
For more information on voting, visit MyVote.wi.gov.
Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Reporter
Olivia Herken is the local government reporter at the La Crosse Tribune and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism. She can be found on Twitter @oherken, and reached at 608-791-8217.
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Four Democrats will appear on the ballot in the Aug. 9 primary ballot for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, and only one Republican will appear without a challenger, setting the course for the battleground race.
La Crosse Common Council member Chris Woodard is making a run for state Assembly, running as a Republican against longtime Democratic Rep. Jil…
“That’s the only ticket that the governor had, the only tool that he could play,” Pfaff said.
Whether or not the two extra sites will need to be used will depend on the demand and upcoming rulings on drop boxes.
Sen. Brad Pfaff represents the 32nd Senate District, which includes La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, and southern Monroe counties.
Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, who running unopposed for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional district. A former Navy SEAL, he served two six-month tours in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2009.
Cooke
Mark Neumann
McGrath
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