Wisconsin congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke believes the Democratic Party has alienated rural and working-class voters, stating that many in the party are out of touch with these communities. Cooke, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district, made these remarks during an appearance on the “Politics War Room” podcast with James Carville and Al Hunt.
Cooke, identifying as a Blue Dog Democrat, described her political stance as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, focusing on a “place-based perspective.” She asserted that she connects with rural and working-class Democrats who feel their concerns have been overlooked by the broader party in recent years. "I think we’ve built strong coalitions across this district with farmers, you know, healthcare workers, people in rural communities that feel really left behind," Cooke said.
Cooke stated that while Republicans in Congress may be too right-wing, she also finds some congressional Democrats to be too left-wing. She emphasized her desire to work across the aisle and prioritize people over party politics. "I did an ad last cycle where I was standing in the middle of the road on my parents’ farm talking about how folks in DC are either too far left or too far right, and we need more people in the middle that want to work across the aisle to get things done," she explained.
She suggested that the Democratic Party would benefit from nominating more candidates with working-class backgrounds, drawing on her own experiences. Cooke has worked as a waitress since she was 16 and has run a small business. "I’ve been a waitress since I was 16 years old. I’ve run a small business here in my community, but I also waitress to make ends meet," she said. "I think there’s this disconnect in the party. And when we run working-class people, folks come out to vote because people trust those people, right? Folks trust me because I have some of the same lived experience that they’ve had, right?"
Cooke shared personal anecdotes to illustrate the disconnect, mentioning the struggle of selling family cows due to low milk prices and the challenges of running a small business against large online retailers. "There’s a lot of members of Congress that have never done those sorts of things. So, when they’re making policy that’s impacting working families, they’re out of touch with that," she stated.
A spokesperson for Cooke’s campaign told Fox News Digital that she is campaigning in both rural and urban areas of the district and aims to gain support from all Wisconsinites, including Republicans and supporters of former President Donald Trump. The spokesperson added that Cooke would greet individuals wearing MAGA hats and that she intends to "fight for working people" and is willing to disagree with other Democrats. Specific policy stances mentioned include her support for a secure border and fully funding the police, while opposing universal student loan forgiveness because she views it as a superficial solution to a deeper problem.