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MILWAUKEE – Incumbent U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin) defeated Democrat challenger Rebecca Cooke on Tuesday in the race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
Who is Derrick Van Orden?
Van Orden joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 18 and served for 26 years, retiring as a Navy SEAL senior chief with five combat deployments. After retirement, he worked as a private sector consultant and left that line of work to open a café with his wife and attend law school.
In 2020, Van Orden first ran to represent Wisconsin‘s 3rd Congressional District. He won the Republican primary, but lost the general election to incumbent Democrat Ron Kind. When Kind chose not to seek reelection in 2022, Van Orden ran again – and defeated Democrat Brad Pfaff to win the 3rd District seat.
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The Van Orden campaign notes education, rebuilding the economy and improving health care as key issues for the Republican incumbent. You can find details about Van Orden’s stance on those issues and others on his campaign website.
Who is Rebecca Cooke?
Cooke was raised in Eau Claire after her father took over the family dairy farm. Her campaign notes the Cooke family has deep roots in the state, dating back to 1856 when they settled in Buffalo County. She attended North High School before attending the University of St. Thomas.
After college, Cooke worked to elect Democrats across the country before returning to Eau Claire and opening a small business and founding a nonprofit in 2016. Gov. Tony Evers appointed her to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, where she served as co-chair of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation committee.
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In 2022, Cooke first ran to represent Wisconsin‘s 3rd Congressional District. She lost the Democratic primary to Brad Pfaff, who then lost the general election to Van Orden. She defeated Kartina Shankland and Eric Wilson in this year’s Democratic primary.
The Cooke campaign notes health care, the economy and “democracy protection” as key issues for the Democrat challenger. You can find details about Cooke’s stance on those issues and others on her campaign website.