EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Another Democrat declared candidacy for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
Former Eau Claire City Council Member Laura Benjamin filed her statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.
Benjamin is looking to unseat Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.
Benjamin will face current Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge, who is also running as a Democrat.
Fellow Democrat Rebecca Cooke, who is running for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for a third time, is also vying for the seat. Cooke said if she does not win the 2026 race, she will not try to claim the 3rd Congressional District seat again.
Benjamin will officially launch her campaign Tuesday, April 22, with a town hall and open mic-based kickoff event from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Brewing Projekt.
The city of Eau Claire does not have a mayor. Instead, the city council oversees both the city manager and city departments.
Aly Prouty - Digital Media Producer
Aly Prouty is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky. An award-winning, multimedia journalist, she holds an honors B.A. in journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in journalism and media studies from The University of Alabama.
