Letter to the Editor: Rebecca Cooke stands out in U.S. House race

Western Wisconsin’s third congressional district has an unusual incumbent. We also have three good candidates working to replace him. One stands out. Rebecca Cooke is a unique and compelling candidate. Despite her age of 35, she brings valuable experience as a small business owner and a champion for women-owned businesses through her nonprofit, the Red Letter Grant that helped 29 local businesses. Democrats in this race largely agree on key issues. Our concern needs to be, who can best defeat the incumbent. Cooke is a refreshing alternative. Cooke’s run in 2020 surprised many with her second place finish to Senator Brad Pfaff. She knows and understands the 300-mile long third District. She carried the northernmost and southernmost counties. A key factor in this race is the ability to and mobilize young voters from the nine college campuses in the district. Cooke has done that. She carried four of the six counties with significant student populations. The two counties she lost were the home counties of her primary opponents. In addition, Cooke’s growing online presence is remarkable. She has more than 5,000 Facebook followers and over 7,400 X — formerly known as Twitter — followers. She raised more than $400,000 from 4,900 donors in three months, averaging around $60 per donation. Rebecca has the campaign experience, the moxie, the charisma, the followers and soon will have the money to win. Thomas Krajewski Onalaska, WI