Meet Rebecca Cooke
Rooted in Wisconsin Values.
Rebecca is a 6th generation Wisconsinite – born and raised on an Eau Claire dairy farm that shaped her core values of hard work, personal responsibility and service. Her family’s roots in agriculture stretch back more than 150 years in Buffalo County, alongside a proud tradition of military service spanning from the Civil War to the present day. Her grandfather fought in Korea before returning home to work a union job at the local paper mill. Her father served as a medic at Walter Reed during the Vietnam War, and her brother continued the family legacy—first as a Navy sailor and now as a farmer & Madison firefighter.
Rebecca is a proud graduate of Eau Claire public schools and went on to earn her degree from the University of St. Thomas. Like many Wisconsinites, she paid her way through college with Pell Grants, work-study jobs, and long shifts as a waitress.
Building opportunities for working Wisconsinites.
In her early 20s, Rebecca worked for Democratic campaigns across the country before returning to Eau Claire to build more opportunities in her hometown. In 2015, she opened Red’s Mercantile, a small retail shop dedicated to selling American-made goods and supporting independent makers. After seven years serving the community, Rebecca closed her business following the pandemic In 2016, she founded the Red Letter Grant—a nonprofit that helps women entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses across 18 counties in northwest Wisconsin. Since then, it’s helped launch over 60 businesses and counting.
Recognizing her leadership and commitment to economic development, Governor Tony Evers appointed Rebecca to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Board, where she’s been a voice for small business owners and rural communities.
While running her small business, Rebecca continues to wait tables at a local restaurant. Because she grew up on a dairy farm, she knows that being successful means wearing multiple hats, and she’s proud of it.
She’s running for Congress because Wisconsin’s working families deserve better. She’s fighting to lower costs, expand economic opportunity in rural America, and bring common sense back to Washington. Learn more about her platform here.
