Republican Derrick Van Orden retains Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District seat

MAGA-aligned Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) retained his position as Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District’s representative after defeating Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke. 

Van Orden secured his second term in office on Tuesday night, when AP News called the race at 11:10 a.m. CST. As of 3:10 p.m., Van Orden received just over 51% of the vote, while Cook had just under 49%. 

Van Orden was able to overcome a stiff challenge this cycle, as Democrats saw his seat as a major opportunity in their effort to take back Congress. Cooke overcame a significant financial gap and reportedly outraised Van Orden by over $1.5 million in the third quarter. 

Van Orden was elected to Congress in 2022 after participating in former President Donald Trump’s Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021. During his brief time in Congress, Van Orden has supported abortion restrictions and food stamp cuts. The 55-year-old was also hit with an ethics complaint in February stemming from an incident in July 2023. Van Orden reportedly screamed at a group of teenage Senate pages for “defiling the space” of the U.S. Capitol. 

Cooke is a small business owner, a nonprofit leader and waitress who has advocated for economic relief for working families in Wisconsin. She previously served on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation from 2019-21.