Frederica Freyberg:
We continue our look at the state’s Congressional districts. This week with Wisconsin’s 3rd. The 3rd Congressional District wraps around the Mississippi River, from the Illinois border up toward the Twin Cities in Minnesota. It also includes part of central Wisconsin in Portage County. The 3rd’s location in western Wisconsin makes it a prime location for farming and frac sand mining, which are two of the districts major industries. La Crosse, Eau Claire and Stevens Point all lie within the districts. Between these and other cities, the 3rd houses nearly half of the University of Wisconsin’s four-year campuses. In Congress, Democratic Ron Kind has represented the district for nearly two decades, since 1997. In November, he faces Republican Steve Toft.