“‘In the trenches’: Wisconsin’s struggling small businesses could turn a Trump ally’s district blue”

Key points

• Erin Klaus closes Tangled Up in Hue after 18 years due to ongoing economic strain.
• Downtown Eau Claire suffered during construction, pandemic, inflation, and tariffs impacting sales.
• Tariffs, healthcare costs, and cost of living cited as factors hurting small businesses.
• Race in western Wisconsin’s 3rd district features Republican Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Rebecca Cooke.
• Outside spending and national politics intersect with local economic anxieties influencing the race.