3rd Congressional District hopefuls participate in Democratic primary forum

EAU CLAIRE, WIS. (WKBT) -- Democratic candidates for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District gathered in Eau Claire last night for a primary forum.

Rebecca Cooke, Eric Wilson, and Katrina Shankland voiced their opinions on a range of topics, including education and the environment.

Of all the issues covered at the forum, healthcare seemed to command the most attention.

It's an important subject to many in the Chippewa Valley, where two area hospitals permanently shut their doors this March .

Eric Wilson, who supports Medicare for All, explained why he plans to fight for expanded healthcare access -- and how the closures shaped his resolve.

"[Medicare for All means] making sure that people don't have to struggle through life. They shouldn't have to worry about, can they afford to go to the doctor. As we saw here in Eau Claire, two hospitals and nineteen clinics closed and the impact is, people die," said Wilson.

3rd District voters head to the polls on August 13th to vote in the Democratic primary.

The winner of that contest will face Republican incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the November general election.

​COPYRIGHT 2024 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.