Area candidates for Congress speak at separate noon-hour forums in La Crosse this week

The major candidates for Congress in the 3rd District are appearing at forums this week, sponsored by the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce.

But Derrick Van Orden and Rebecca Cooke are not making a joint appearance. They’re speaking two days apart, both at the Cappella Arts Center.

Van Orden was up first, on Monday. Two years ago, Van Orden became the first Republican Congressman elected from the 3rd since the 1990’s, and he wants more GOP voters to show up at the polls.

“If every man and woman that got up and worked every single day swung by the ballot box, this district would be as red as a tomato,” Van Orden told reporters. “I want our hard-working men and women of the 3rd Congressional District to get out and vote.”

Van Orden hopes the district voters will consider 3 “G’s” when they vote for candidates this fall…”gas, groceries, and grandkids.”

“We’re having difficulty filling up a gas tank and a grocery cart on the same day in the United States,” said the Congressman. “That’s not a Democrat or a Republican issue. That’s not a trade school issue or a four-year degree liberal arts issue. That’s an American citizen issue, and it’s been put on us by Biden and Harris.”

As for grandkids, Van Orden says voters should think about the security of their children and grandchildren when they cast their ballots.

Democratic challenger Cooke will be featured at a similar town hall in the same building on Wednesday. The Chamber decided that the candidates would not be recorded by local media during either forum, so they and the audience could speak freely.