From the Daily Caller: Democratic candidate Laura Benjamin dropped out of a swing seat House race just days after blasting assassinated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in campaign advertising.
Benjamin, a transgender former city council member running to unseat three-term Republican Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden, announced the campaign’s suspension on Friday, citing a lack of fundraising dollars. The Democrat slammed Kirk’s “hateful rhetoric” in a series of Facebook ads that included donation links following the conservative activist’s assassination on Sept. 10.
Benjamin is a biological male who identifies as female, and had posted a sneering message on Facebook two days after Kirk was killed, claiming, “He enflamed tensions, spread prejudice, argued disingenuous points, and was a voice for division.”
“Running a congressional campaign across a district as large as WI-03 takes significant financial resources. Despite the incredible support we’ve received, the path to victory simply isn’t there without the level of fundraising required to reach voters. Rather than run a campaign without a viable path forward, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend efforts at this time,” Benjamin said in a press release announcing the end of the campaign for Congress.
One of Benjamin’s campaign talking points was “supporting immigrant families.”
An announcement was also posted on Benjamin’s Facebook page. The intro bio on the Facebook page describes Benjamin as a “Progressive Democratic Socialist fighting for an America that works for us all.”
According to reporter Kate Morton, two other Democrats, Rebecca Cooke and Emily Berge, are still in the race, in their effort to flip the seat currently occupied by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden.
Rebecca Cooke, who lost to @derrickvanorden last cycle, and Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge are still in the running.
— Kate Morton (@KateMorton_) September 26, 2025
Van Orden quipped in response to the news, “Didn’t see that coming.”
Didn’t see that coming. https://t.co/f3JAGu9Qo2
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) September 26, 2025
WI CD-3. Ex-Eau Claire City Councilwoman Laura Benjamin (D) – who resigned after just 7 months in office in 2019 to “reprioritize” her life – becomes 3rd Dem to enter race vs US Rep Derrick Van Orden (R). Benjamin was the first transgender person elected to office in Wisconsin.
— Politics1.com (@Politics1com) April 17, 2025
Laura Benjamin is announcing the suspension of her campaign for Congress in Wisconsin’s 3rd District. https://t.co/unVw0xoQ5C
— WEAU 13 News (@WEAU13News) September 26, 2025
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