Rebecca Cooke is getting a second chance to unseat Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), after securing the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
Cooke, a nonprofit executive and small-business owner, defeated Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge on Tuesday in a close primary race. The Associated Press called the race for Cooke at 10:21 p.m. With 62% of ballots counted, Cooke led with 57% of the vote, compared to Berge’s 43%.
Berge ran to Cooke’s left in the primary, betting that the anti-establishment mood reshaping parts of the Democratic Party would give her an opening. She earned endorsements from local chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America and Indivisible.
The effort, however, fell short, with Cooke securing an early endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Blue Dogs.
Cooke had a significant fundraising advantage, raising $8.6 million to Berge’s $729,000. Her victory marks the latest establishment-backed candidate to win a primary race amid a surge of socialist-aligned candidates within the party.
Cooke now heads to a high-stakes general election against Van Orden in November. This is Cooke’s third time running in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, having been knocked out in 2022 during the primary election and losing to Van Orden in 2024 by less than 3 points.
Van Orden is in a vulnerable position heading into November, with his seat rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. President Donald Trump carried the seat in 2024 by 8 percentage points over former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Cooke will likely face attacks from Van Orden on her financial records. Van Orden’s campaign spokesperson cast doubt over Cooke filing for an extension on her financial disclosures, meaning voters were not able to see her financial history before the primary election.
“Last time, Rebecca Cooke’s financial disclosures raised questions about the fake ‘struggling waitress’ image she sold voters,” Van Orden spokeswoman Grace Kim wrote. “This time, she’s making sure those disclosures don’t arrive until after election day. WI-03 voters should ask themselves why.”
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The Washington Examiner has reached out to Cooke for comment.
Van Orden ran unopposed in the GOP primary and entered the general election having raised roughly $7.5 million, according to financial disclosures.