Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden declared victory in his reelection bid in western Wisconsin’s 3rd CD tonight in one of the most closely watched races in the Badger State.
Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, was ahead of Eau Claire Dem Rebecca Cooke with 51.4% of the vote at 98% reporting, according to unofficial returns. This was the most competitive seat for Dems in the state, where Republicans control six of eight seats.
A spokesperson for the Cooke campaign told WisPolitics the campaign was waiting for all ballots to be counted.
“I’m truly thankful and humbled the people of Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District decided to send me back to Congress so I can continue my bipartisan work for western Wisconsin,” Van Orden said in a statement.
He pledged to continue working to stop the “southern border crisis,” “tackle rising costs” and “ensure life is more affordable for everyday families.
Van Orden held the district he’s represented since elected to succeed longtime former U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, in 2022. He defeated state Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska, that year by 3.7 percentage points.
The Cook Political Report rated the district as a “lean Republican” seat ahead of the election. In 2022, under the maps Republicans drew and the state Supreme Court put in place, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, earned 50.5% of the vote and ended up winning reelection by just 1 point.
Cooke and groups spent $12.6 million on ads backing her campaign during the general election, according to AdImpact. That’s compared to $8.7 million supporting Van Orden’s reelection bid.
Over the course of the race, Cooke and groups supporting her criticized Van Orden’s temperament, including for attending the Stop the Steal rally in Washington D.C, ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and cursing at Senate pages. Van Orden and groups supporting his campaign sought to paint Cooke as anti-police and a political insider for her past as a campaign consultant.
Cooke won a three-way Dem primary to face off against Van Orden, defeating state Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point, for Eau Claire mortgage loan officer Eric Wilson.
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