MADISON, Wis. — The field of Democrats hoping to challenge freshman Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, for Wisconsin’s third congressional district continues to grow.
Small business and non-profit leader Rebecca Cooke jumped into the race for a second time in July after losing the 2022 primary, and Harvard Law School student Aaron Nytes joined in August. Former La Crosse County Board Chair Tara Johnson announced her candidacy in September, followed by State Rep. Katrina Shankland in October.
Month by month, the field has grown as Democrats face one another to prove they have what it takes to challenge Rep. Van Orden, who turned the district red after longtime Democrat Rep. Ron Kind retired.
During her announcement earlier this month, current State Rep. Katrina Shankland said she stands out thanks to her strong track record of bringing people together.
“I have the problem-solving and coalition-building skills to get things done,” Shankland told a crowd of supporters gathered for her announcement.
Shankland also highlighted endorsements from seven labor unions out of the gate.
“Not only will I have a strong base here in Portage County and central Wisconsin, but I think a lot of voters were interested in seeing the 150-plus bills that I passed into law and the track record of building a large coalition of people, not just Democrats who support me, will be interested in that message across the third,” Shankland explained.
Shankland, who raised more than $100,000 in the first two weeks of her campaign, sums up her platform simply.
“I am running for Congress to bring back common sense and hard work to our nation’s capital,” Shankland said.
Tara Johnson, who jumped into the race last month, also said she couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer.
“I’m someone who gets work done,” Johnson said. “That is who I am, and really my throughline is helping my community and building community. I say I am an all boats rise kind of person.”
A longtime La Crosse County Board member and Executive Director of the United Way of La Crosse, Johnson said her experience speaks for itself.
“That is the track record that I have, is bringing businesses together, organized labor and all kinds of folks together to get things done, and there’s no one else in the primary who has the kind of track record,” Johnson explained.
Johnson also said living in such a key part of what she calls a swing district, which elected Gov. Tony Evers, Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, and Rep. Van Orden, has given her the exposure to get her message out.
“20-plus percent of primary voters live in La Crosse County, so where I am from and where I have done my work and where I am known is an important part of this, in addition to my experience,” Johnson added.
The state Republican Party also weighed in as the race heats up more than a year out from the election.
“Even in a crowded primary, Democrats will not be able to hide from their extreme policies and lack of solutions to runaway inflation, declining wages, and their open borders policy,” WisGOP Spokesperson Matt Fisher said in a statement. “Wisconsinites in the Third District know and trust Congressman Derrick Van Orden to deliver for them.”