Laura Benjamin held town hall to hear from residents

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District is heating up.

A number of candidates have already announced their bid for the seat currently held by Republican Derrick Van Orden.

Tuesday night, Democratic candidate Laura Benjamin held a town hall at the Brewing Projekt in Eau Claire to hear directly from constituents in the district about their concerns.

Benjamin said after record-breaking spending in the state Supreme Court race, she’s looking to prioritize the needs of voters over showing favoritism towards wealthy donors and special interest groups.

“We have an opportunity to provide needed healthcare, childcare and paid family leave. To look at things like bodily autonomy, having diversity as one our strengths and that’s the conversation I’m excited to have with the nation no matter what happens in November 2026,” said Benjamin.

Benjamin is the third Democratic candidate to enter the race following Rebecca Cooke, who narrowly lost the 2024 race to Van Orden by less than 2% of the vote, and Emily Berge, the current City Council president.

The primary election will take place on August 11, 2026, with the final two candidates vying for the seat in the general election on November 3, 2026.