u/Berge_For_Congress

It has been a journey for the last 18 months. I knew this would be an uphill battle and I was committed to running a campaign that was built from the ground up, focused on the people of Wisconsin.

We were up against the National Dem Establishment and millions of dollars. I have to say I wasn't expecting the national dems to be my biggest opponent but I guess that is politics. We were up against almost 7 million dollars spent in this primary plus outside spending. We were up against early national endorsements. We were up against negative text messages from my opponent that spread misinformation about me and my family.

AND YET we still built something amazing. Over 800 people signed up to volunteer, so many new voters got engaged, over 200 events throughout the district. Collected 1400 signatures in 5 days to be first on the ballot. This campaign gave people hope...people told me that all the time. And we need hope to create change.

Thank you to all my volunteers, supporters, voters, people who donated. What we did mattered. The energy we felt was real.

Congratulations to Rebecca Cooke for winning the primary. I am going to take time to be with my family for the next few weeks and maybe longer. My daughter is heading off to college this fall and I look forward to spending time with her. I will also need to figure out how to rebuild my life after this experience. I have a lot to process that I haven't had time to process: finishing up 8 years on council, a pending empty nest for Mike and me, losing one of our cats (Marie), figuring out my counseling practice and I'm sure other things too.

But I will be around Eau Claire and I hope to see you all out and about. I am not giving up on you all. I care too much. I have your back, Wisconsin.

Love you all.

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WIZM News:

https://youtu.be/VqtqK12J_zM

First I'll say that we have a primary August 11th and if the voters choose Rebecca Cooke, I will support Rebecca Cooke. The priority is that we flip the seat from red to blue and hold Donald Trump and his administration accountable.

The way I see this race, this primary, this is Western and Central Wisconsin vs D.C.

I'm going to tell you all just a little story here. When I was thinking of running for Congress and I was being encouraged locally by folks to run for Congress they said, “Well you need to call people in D.C.” So I was like, “Okay.” And I remember I had them on the phone right here and they told me, “No, we don't want a primary.” They said, “We have our candidate.” And I remember arguing with them, “No, It's up to the voters.”

“Nope. She has the most money we want her. We don't want a primary.”

That's when I knew that this problem that we're in as a country is bigger than Derrick Van Orden, it's bigger than Trump.

We need a primary and when they told me that they didn't want a primary, that's when I knew I had to run. That was my deciding factor.

I understand, as a counselor, where that came from in the Democratic establishment. Because they were scared, right? After Trump was re-elected, it was crazy times. But I've learned as a counselor and on City Council that we don't make the best decisions out of fear.

I understand that they wanted it easy, right? They wanted one person that they could support and make it easy, but when is doing the right thing easy? When is fighting for democracy easy?

You all deserve a voice. They tried to take it away from you. People behind closed doors states away - they didn't want you to have a voice or a choice. And that's why I'm running. That is why I'm running.

It's not even about me. It's about you all. You deserve a fighter.

I feel the pressure every single day of them wanting me to drop, but I am not dropping. Because you deserve a voice. The whole point of a primary is so party bosses don't pick the Democratic nominee.

The 3rd Congressional District is a swing district in a swing state. Everyone in this room, we have so much power and it's up to you to take that power.

The D.C. establishment and insiders tried to take it away, but we're not going to let them.

“It is sad and infuriating to watch Derrick Van Orden bring this snake-oil salesman to the district to try and distract folks from the fact that he has gutted healthcare in America. Representative Van Orden thinks that we don’t understand basic arithmetic; putting $50 billion into a ‘Rural Health Transformation Program’ after cutting $140 billion from rural healthcare doesn’t leave us whole. As a provider myself, I have helped our neighbors navigate the for-profit insurance world that leaves too many of our neighbors behind. I am the only candidate who supports universal healthcare to ensure that every Wisconsinite will receive the care they need; anything short of this will leave our neighbors and especially our rural communities behind.”

https://www.weau.com/2026/07/09/gov-officials-discuss-rural-wi-healthcare/

This is a party for the people! This will be a fun and high energy event with dancing and hanging with good people!

Join Emily Berge, Uncommon Denominator, and Gaff Mountain and let's get out the vote for the Aug 11th Primary!

July 30th * 6pm * The Plus

https://volumeonetickets.org/e/bergetheplus

"How I've been running my campaign is from the bottom up. Grassroots. And I do think this is what differentiates myself in this campaign.

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Now whoever wins the primary, and I will support whoever wins, but whoever wins the primary - the money will come because this is the most important race in the country. The money will be there. But the people - we cannot take the people for granted.

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I have been building a momentum of people. WE have been building this grassroots power over the last 15 months. I have hundreds of people who have volunteered, who have signed up to canvass or phone bank or write postcards. I have one paid full-time staff. Everyone else is a volunteer.

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Even last weekend we had over 30 volunteers working over the whole weekend. At different pride festivals, at the convention, at dairy breakfasts. That sets me apart. I already have the people. WE have the people and that's what we're going to need. There's going to be a lot of money. Democrats are going to have a lot of money. Republicans are going to have a lot of money. But we need the people.

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And WE, I keep saying "I" but it's been so much "we." So many great volunteers have showed up and been with me since day one. It's been amazing. We built this momentum and that's what we're going to need.

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We're going to need people showing up, and they already are. In La Farge, population 700, I had 100 people show up in the park. Richland Center, I had 80 people show up in their park. I'm having open town halls all the time throughout the whole district and people, Republicans, are showing up. It's not that I'm going to be doing this, I AM doing this."

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Full forum here: https://youtu.be/2KulOvQ\_vK0

I want to thank Rodney for his hard work for Wisconsinites, both serving in the Ho-Chunk Legislature and in his campaign for Congress.

Rodney brought a much needed perspective and I will always consider his guiding principle as sound advice: “Make decisions with the next seven generations in mind.”

I enjoyed getting to know Rodney over the last several months and I have deep respect for his dedication to getting out there and meeting the people of the Third where they are at.