By admin 
MILWAUKEE – Incumbent U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin) faces Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke on Tuesday in the race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
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Who is Derrick Van Orden?
Van Orden joined the U.S. Navy at age 18 and served for 26 years, retiring as a senior Navy SEAL chief with five combat deployments. After retiring, he worked as a consultant in the private sector and left that work to open a café with his wife and study law.
Van Orden was in action for the first time in 2020 Wisconsin‘s 3rd Congressional District. He won the Republican primary, but lost the general election to incumbent Democrat Ron Kind. When Kind opted not to seek re-election in 2022, Van Orden ran again — and defeated Democrat Brad Pfaff to win the 3rd District seat.
Van Orden’s campaign identifies education, rebuilding the economy and improving health care as key issues for the Republican incumbent. You can find details about Van Orden’s position on these and other issues on his campaign website.
Who is Rebecca Cooke?
Cooke grew up in Eau Claire after her father took over the family dairy farm. Her campaign shows that 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 nonprofit in 2016. Tony Evers appointed her to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, where she served as co-chair of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee.
In 2022, Cooke ran in action for the first time 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 lists health care, the economy and “protecting democracy” as key issues for the Democratic challenger. You can find details of Cooke’s position on these and other issues on her campaign website.