Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District: Who Will Win the 2026 House Race

The Oklahoma City Council has approved a $25 million infrastructure agreement to rebuild the Interstate 40 interchange at Cimarron Road, near a proposed Buc-ee's location in western Oklahoma City. The deal, involving the city, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and developer CSMS Management LLC, covers rebuilding the interchange bridge, approaches and ramps, expanding the current two-lane crossing to five lanes with protected U-turn lanes. The vote approves the road project only, not final approval of the Buc-ee's store itself.

Costs would be split roughly 45.5% ODOT, 30.3% Oklahoma City and 24.2% CSMS, with $10 million in federal funding already secured through Sen. Markwayne Mullin's office. Construction could tentatively begin as early as 2028, pending approvals from the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, Federal Highway Administration and further sign-off from both the city and Buc-ee's. Cimarron Road could be closed during construction, though no detour schedule has been set. No opening date for the store has been announced.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.