Rebecca Cooke wins Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, setting up Derrick Van Orden rematch

Former small business owner and nonprofit founder Rebecca Cooke won the Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, advancing to another general election matchup against incumbent U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI).

Decision Desk called the race for Cooke at 8:35 p.m. CST, 35 minutes after polls closed. As of 9:15 p.m. CST, Cooke led the primary with 57% of the vote compared to Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge’s with 43%.

This is Cooke’s third straight congressional run and her second consecutive party nomination. In 2024, Van Orden defeated her by 2.7 percentage points (11,256 votes).

Rebecca Cooke

Raised on an Eau Claire dairy farm, Cooke ran on a platform centered on lowering health care costs, expanding reproductive rights and advocating for family farms and small businesses. She garnered support from all sides of the Democratic political spectrum, receiving endorsements from labor unions and progressives such as U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as well as more moderate figures such as U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Van Orden’s team attacked Cooke earlier this year, after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Cooke’s past work as a political consultant. Last year, Cooke earned $30,000 for organizing with Third Way, a moderate think tank. Grace Kim, a spokesperson for the congressman, told the Sentinel that Cooke is a liar for framing herself as a working-class candidate.

“DVO doesn’t need to lie about who he is to earn Wisconsin’s trust — Cooke can’t say the same,” Kim said.

“She used that opportunity to stick up for farmers, for affordable health care, and against the tax giveaways for the elitists that Derrick Van Orden votes for,” a spokesperson from Cooke’s campaign said. “During her part-time work for Third Way, Rebecca maintained her waitressing job, taking shifts almost every weekend at $8 an hour plus tips. Like many people in western Wisconsin, she knows what it’s like to wear many hats to pay the bills.”

Derrick Van Orden

Van Orden, 56, has represented Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District since 2023, flipping a seat held by Democrats since 1997. Before joining Congress, Van Orden served in the United States Navy for 26 years and also acted in a few films.

Van Orden has routinely defended and voted alongside President Donald Trump. He has also drawn scrutiny for public outbursts, including a widely reported incident where he allegedly yelled at teenage Senate pages in the U.S. Capitol.

The race will be Wisconsin’s most highly contested congressional contest, with Cook Political Report rating it a tossup.