Rebecca Cooke, a former waitress, small-business owner, and nonprofit founder, won the Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday. Her victory sets her up for a rematch with Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the upcoming general election.
Cooke, who was raised on an Eau Claire-area dairy farm, defeated former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge. The win marks her third attempt to win the western Wisconsin seat. She previously lost the 2022 Democratic primary to then-State Sen. Brad Pfaff before securing the nomination this year.
Van Orden defeated Cooke in November 2022 by about 11,000 votes, with 51.4% of the vote to her 48.6%, according to election results. Cooke has emphasized her working-class background to connect with voters, highlighting her upbringing on a dairy farm, her work as a waitress, and her founding of the Red Letter Grant, a nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs.
Her campaign has focused on issues such as affordability, health care, and economic challenges in rural communities. Cooke has positioned herself as a pragmatic Democrat capable of appealing across party lines in a district that includes Eau Claire, La Crosse, and much of western Wisconsin.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included Cooke in its ‘Red to Blue’ program, which allocates resources to viable candidates in competitive districts. Berge, a mental health counselor and former Eau Claire City Council president, ran as a local alternative, emphasizing her connection to the community and advocating for more candidate choices.
Meanwhile, Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL elected in 2022, seeks a third term. The district, a swing area in Wisconsin, has leaned Republican in recent presidential elections. However, Cooke’s narrow 2024 loss and her fundraising efforts have made this race a key contest for Democrats aiming to regain control of the House. The Cook Political Report moved the race from ‘lean Republican’ to ‘toss-up’ in its latest assessment.
As the campaign progresses, scrutiny is expected over Cooke’s personal finances and political background. Van Orden’s campaign has pushed for her to release a financial disclosure, citing income from political consulting and rental properties, which they argue contradict her working-class image. Republicans also seek to portray her as a political insider, pointing to her campaign work and fundraising experience.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
