Elections
Rebecca Cooke wins Democratic primary for third bid against Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin
PN Team • 2 months ago
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.
Sentiment
- Donald Trump Trump's policies are cited as causing farm export losses, Medicaid/SNAP cuts, and rising costs, framing his administration negatively in this context.
- Iran Iran is mentioned as a source of the conflict contributing to rising fuel and fertilizer costs, a negative economic factor.
- Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is mentioned as the primary context and target of the House retake effort, largely factual.
- Sean Duffy Sean Duffy is mentioned only tangentially as the father-in-law of a Republican primary winner.
- Wisconsin Wisconsin is the neutral geographic setting for the election coverage.
- Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is mentioned factually as the incumbent party in the district without strong positive or negative framing.
- United States Congress Congress is referenced only as the general context of the election, without specific reputational implications.
- United States House of Representatives The House of Representatives is mentioned factually as the body Democrats seek to retake.