Deb McGrath

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Deb McGrath

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 9, 2022

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Deb McGrath (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on August 9, 2022.

McGrath completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2022

See also: Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 3

Derrick Van Orden defeated Brad Pfaff in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 3 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derrick Van Orden (R)	51.8	164,743
		Brad Pfaff (D)	48.1	152,977
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	202

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 317,922
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Rustin Provance (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 3

Brad Pfaff defeated Rebecca Cooke, Deb McGrath, and Mark A. Neumann in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 3 on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brad Pfaff	38.9	24,041
		Rebecca Cooke	31.1	19,221
		Deb McGrath	19.1	11,770
		Mark A. Neumann	10.8	6,672
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	25

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,729
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brett Knudsen (D)
• Justin Bradley (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 3

Derrick Van Orden advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 3 on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Derrick Van Orden	99.3	65,164
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	471

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,635
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Denise Hurless (R)

Endorsements

To view McGrath's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Deb McGrath completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McGrath's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Menomonie and am a former Army Captain, CIA Officer, and mother of three. My father, the late Congressman Al Baldus, grew up on a farm and taught me the value of hard work. My drive to serve our country led me to become an Army officer after college, and I went on to serve over two decades in the Army and CIA. Now, I see some of the chaos and instability I fought against while serving abroad, here at home: the January 6th attack on our Capitol, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and more. Meanwhile, families in western central Wisconsin are struggling to get by as the cost of living continues to rise, and politics in Washington prevents meaningful change. I am a proven leader with over 25 years of national service in the Army and CIA. I have been recognized for my ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, listen to their concerns, and solve problems. As a wife and mother, I understand the challenges that families are facing. I’ve spent my entire life fighting for our rights in our toughest war zones, and now, I am stepping up to serve here at home.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Values: We may have political differences – yet we are neighbors, friends, and family. I may disagree with actions and policies, but I seek to understand other points of view. I will lead with logic, truth, and reason. Democracy depends on voters and civic engagement – I will defend our rights and fight for ballot access and fair voting districts.
• Economic Infrastructure: Farms, dairies, waterways, and forests power the western Wisconsin economy – I will support efforts to keep these industries competitive and in the hands of our residents – not overseas conglomerates. Cyber, high tech, and green energy – with five public colleges and universities in WI-03, we can provide a competitive employment and business base and great jobs.
• Families: Education – pre-K, K-12, vocational education, and college access are a core of American strength and competitiveness. We must invest in our public schools. Home care and childcare is an important factor in family opportunity. Healthcare Access – Compared to other countries, we spend more money for worse health outcomes. We must codify Roe v. Wade into law. We can cut drug costs while paying health workers better. We need expanded access to health, mental health, and dental care in rural areas, and expanded tele-health options.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Expanding access to our democracy and protecting the right to vote, building a Wisconsin with a robust digital, green energy, and high-tech economy, and protecting human rights, especially women’s reproductive rights. I am running for office with a lifetime of public service because our democratic institutions are under threat. My priorities are protecting access to the ballot, making our democracy more fair and transparent so every voice is heard, and ensuring that we all have equal access to justice and a fair shot at a good life. Part of that is political - because standing up for the right to vote has unfortunately become a controversial political stance. The rest of it is more ambitious - setting the stage for a fairer, more equitable economy that works for everyone and helps Wisconsin thrive on the world stage. It’s also deeply personal, protecting the right of families to chart their own lives, enabling children to grow up in communities that cherish and respect them, and acting to deliver justice fairly. This is good, necessary work.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admire the example of my parents, as community members and public servants. My father grew up on a farm, served in the Merchant Marine in WW2, and in the Army during the Korean Conflict. With two years of trade school, he began selling farm machinery. Later, he served as a Legislator and Congressman for Wisconsin. My mother was a teacher, and early advocate for health care and diversity efforts. I grew up believing in the power of education and opportunity. I have also had the incredible honor to work with tremendous public servants, diplomats, and military officers who selflessly serve our nation. I taught my children about the quiet heroes of the 20th Century, like Virginia Hall, Raoul Wallenberg and dissidents who stood up for their beliefs against Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and other dictatorships around the world. The dignity of the human spirit and the divine grace that leads us to help one another is the example I want to follow - and it lives in each and every one of us.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Empathy. I’ve worked all kinds of jobs - from farm fields, paper routes and grocery stores, to leadership positions, and from raising kids to running a forklift. But the most important thing that it taught me about power was that it’s isolating - and that the cure for that isolation is empathy. I’ve connected and befriended people of a dozen faiths, countless ethnicities, and all sorts of creeds, because I found our common humanity more important than the things that divided us. That’s the spirit I want to bring to Congress - the ability to bring the hopes, dreams and fears of my home to the rest of the country and the rest of the world.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House Wisconsin District 3

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Personal

LinkedIn

Footnotes

[show]

Wisconsin's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Baldwin (D)

Ronald Johnson (R)

Representatives

District 1

Bryan Steil (R)

District 2

Mark Pocan (D)

District 3

Derrick Van Orden (R)

District 4

Gwen Moore (D)

District 5

Scott Fitzgerald (R)

District 6

Glenn Grothman (R)

District 7

Tom Tiffany (R)

District 8

Tony Wied (R)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (3)