20-04-2025
Former EC Councilmember, small business owner Benjamin announces candidacy for congress
EAU CLAIRE — Small business owner and former Eau Claire City Councilmember Laura Benjamin declared her candidacy for Wisconsin's Third Congressional District on Friday as a Democratic candidate.
In addition to owning a small business, Satellite Six in Eau Claire, and formerly serving on the city council, Benjamin is also the creator of a YouTube channel named 'Laura for the People.'
Benjamin is now the third candidate to announce for the Democratic campaign. Rebecca Cooke, who ran last year, and Eau Claire Council President Emily Berge, who announced her campaign on April 15, are also running. The seat is currently held by Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie Du Chien), who was reelected last November. Van Orden has not formally announced his reelection campaign. A Democratic primary will be held in August 2026.
'I'm running because our district - and our country - deserves better than corporate giveaways, constitutional violations, and a representative who's asleep at the wheel while working families suffer,' said Benjamin in a press release announcing her candidacy. 'Derrick Van Orden has supported slashing the Department of Veterans Affairs, siding with corporate ag over family farms, and standing by while the current administration illegally kidnaps thousands of people. Enough is enough. We need a representative who fights for the people.'
Benjamin's press release said her campaign focus would be on a "bold reform agenda," with the objective of getting money out of politics, restoring trust in government, protecting and expanding labor rights and delivering 'Medicare for all.' She also supports reforms in the Department of Education to lift up struggling schools rather than punish them and a push for tax reforms, the press release states.
Her campaign will start with a town hall at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Brewing Projekt, 2000 N Oxford Ave, Eau Claire. Her campaign website is also set to go live on the same day, which can be found at
'There's a reason people feel abandoned by government – because they have been,' she said. 'I'm here to change that, and I'm building this campaign with working and diverse people, not corporate donors. That's why we're kicking things off by inviting the public to speak. Because it's time our leaders listened.'
