Committee
Berge for Congress
Campaign Phone
6087805424
Education
Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UW-Stout; Bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies (with a minor in Psychology) from UW-Stout
Personal Pronouns
she/her
The issues I hear about most are: healthcare, housing, and cost of living. I support Medicare for All because it is the only way to guarantee that no matter your employment status, marriage status, or where you live, you can access the care you need. As a mental-health provider, I have seen the failures of for-profit insurance time and time again, we deserve better. Everyone deserves a roof over their head, and Congress needs to be doing more to help local officials build housing. As President of the Eau Claire City Council, I worked to expand housing options, with our building outpacing the cities 7% population growth over the past 8 years. We deserve a Representative focused on Wisconsinites, who will put people over profits.
I believe we address this by increasing opportunity for all and holding corporations accountable. Through my 8 years on Eau Claire City Council, I worked to bring hundreds of jobs and $30 million dollars in added fair market value to the city. I believe that Wisconsin can and should be the global leader in union manufacturing of renewable energy infrastructure and goods. I will push to revitalize old manufacturing sites into plants for EV parts, batteries, solar installation framing, and more. I will also fund the FTC and go after monopolies to put an end to price gauging and uncompetitive markets. And, when we pass Medicare for All, unions can focus on securing labor protections, stronger pensions, and growing their membership.
I fully support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We also need to implement independent redistricting at the state and federal level. The political game we have seen for decades, and this year in particular, is disgusting. People should decide their representatives, not the other way around. I would also support ranked choice voting efforts that would build coalitions and help to mitigate the role that money plays in our politics. With that being said, we must eliminate Citizens United and pass comprehensive campaign finance reform. We should set caps on how much can be spent on any campaign, limit the time period candidates can fundraise, and explore matched dollars for small-dollar, in-district contributions.
Medicare for All, including mental health care and reproductive health care, is my number one priority. I will fight to ensure reproductive freedom for everyone; I believe this includes ensuring providers throughout Wisconsin - whether urban or rural. I will also fight to cover gender-affirming care under Medicare and ban conversion therapy at the federal level. If health care, including reproductive health care, is only accessible for the well off and well connected, we don't have true freedom.
I believe we need an overhaul of our immigration process. We have to implement a sensible path to citizenship for folks who don't break the law, and are just trying to provide a better life for themselves and their families. Immigration is a civil matter and we should treat it as such, funding our court system so that immigrants and asylum seekers are seen quickly and the process is clear. The best way to maintain national security is to work productively with other nations to improve quality of life both here in America, and abroad. Rather than creating zones of violence and harm, we must work to build partnerships with our neighbors, improving lives in their home countries, so there is less incentive to leave.
Committee
Cooke for Congress
Education
University of St.Thomas, Bachelors of Arts
Personal Pronouns
she/her
We need an economy that delivers for working and middle-class families in west central Wisconsin. We can get there by strengthening Wisconsin’s agricultural economy, expanding opportunity and labor protections for workers, and improving access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, particularly in rural communities.
I’m a waitress, small business owner, and nonprofit leader who has focused my career on building community and serving others. Born and raised on an Eau Claire dairy farm and appointed by Governor Tony Evers to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, I ran my own small business, before helping 70 other women in west central Wisconsin start their own too. I understand the challenges facing the small towns and rural communities and am a fierce advocate for protecting their livelihood.
I’m running for Congress to better serve communities across Wisconsin, put people first and provide more opportunities for success, and be a relentless fighter for our way of life.
People across west central Wisconsin are working hard, but too many families are falling behind. We need an economy that works for working people, not just large corporations. I would support measures to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs, expand affordable housing, and increase access to quality childcar so families can afford to live and work in the communities they love. We can make a difference right away by cracking down on corporate price gouging and enforcing antitrust laws when large corporations abuse their market power and costs for consumers, farmers, and small businesses. As a small business owner, I know how important vibrant Main Streets are to our communities. I want to invest in entrepreneurs and manufacturers, support first-time homebuyers, and create opportunities for second-stage business growth that creates good-paying jobs here in Wisconsin. I also support raising the minimum wage through a phased approach and strengthening workforce development.
Our democracy works best when every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate. In Congress, I would work to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. I believe voting should be accessible, secure, and fair. I support protecting early voting and absentee voting, ensuring polling locations are adequately staffed, and making sure rural communities and voters with disabilities have equal access to the ballot box. At the same time, we must maintain confidence in our elections by ensuring they are administered fairly and transparently. Expanding access and protecting election integrity are not competing goals, they go hand in hand. Our democracy is strongest when everyone has a voice and when people trust that their vote matters and will be counted.
Healthcare is personal for me. When my mom suffered a heart attack and needed quadruple bypass surgery, our family saw firsthand how devastating medical costs can be. And as someone who has had to go uninsured as costs explode, I am living the same struggle so many Americans face everyday myself. I want to lower costs by improving the Affordable Care Act, expanding tax credits, and giving families more choices on the exchange. But in rural Wisconsin, we don’t just have a cost issue, we have a real access issue so I support increasing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates so rural hospitals can continue providing care. Healthcare decisions should be made by patients and their doctors, not politicians. I support protecting access to contraception, IVF, abortion care, codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law. I also support continued federal funding for family planning services and organizations like Planned Parenthood. Everyone deserves access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.
America has always been strengthened by people seeking freedom and opportunity, and I believe we can uphold our values while maintaining a secure border. We need a practical approach that combines strong border security with a fair and efficient immigration system. That means investing in modern border technology, increasing funding to immigration judges to address the processing delays, and providing resources to address drug trafficking and human trafficking to ensure that immigration laws are enforced responsibly. Throughout, we should treat immigrants and refugees with dignity and humanity. Families fleeing violence and persecution deserve due process and a system that reflects our nation's historic values.
