Incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) and Rebecca Cooke (D) are running in the general election for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District on November 5, 2024.
Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin’s Charlotte Scott wrote that “voters in this district aren’t afraid to ticket split.” In 2016 and 2020, district voters re-elected then-Rep. Ron Kind (D), who represented the district from 1997 to 2023. Former President Donald Trump (R) won the district in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. In 2022, Gov. Tony Evers (D) won the district in that year’s gubernatorial race, while U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R) won the district in that year’s senate race.
Van Orden has represented the district since 2022, when he defeated Brad Pfaff (D), 51.8% to 48.1%. He ran unsuccessfully in 2020, losing to Kind 51.3% to 48.6%. From 1988 to 2014, Van Orden served in the U.S. Navy. Following his military service, he owned a restaurant called The Butternut Cafe and worked as a consultant in the private sector. He also previously acted in movies and wrote a book.
Van Orden described himself as “a Salty Navy SEAL combat vet that has spent the last two years fighting for our families, businessowners, farmers and workers.” Additionally, he said, “If people look at my record and they understand how many hours we put in to craft very solid, very solid legislation to help out the 3rd, then they should be voting for me.”
Cooke is the founder of The Red Letter Grant, which she said is an organization “that supports women entrepreneurs throughout ten counties in western Wisconsin.” She also operates an Airbnb business and waitresses at a local restaurant. Cooke previously served on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. She ran unsuccessfully in the district’s 2022 Democratic primary, losing to Pfaff 38.9% to 31.1%.
Cooke said her priorities include “increasing health care access and affordability,” “creating an economy built for working families,” and “protecting reproductive healthcare freedoms.” She said she decided to run for Congress because “I really feel like Washington has left us behind, and it’s ran by insiders and elites on both sides of the aisle. And we need someone with fresh perspectives and real world experiences to fight for us in D.C.”
According to University of Wisconsin Professor Anthony Chergosky, “In a sense, Cooke and Van Orden are political opposites, but they both do tout that outsider brand, and I think that’s the one parallel between Cooke and Van Orden is that their theory of the electorate is that voters reward outsiders.”
PBS Wisconsin’s Nathan Denzin wrote that the district “which encompasses most of western and parts of central Wisconsin, is the most purple district in a purple state—every vote is up for grabs.” Both candidates talked about their abilities to be bipartisan in the Congress. On his congressional record, Van Orden said, “I do things that make sense. Regardless of affiliation to a political party.” Cooke said that part of her campaign strategy is to visit every county in the district: “No community is too small or too red for us to show up and listen.”
Based on Q2 2024 reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Van Orden raised $4.8 million and spent $2.5 million and Cooke raised $2.0 million and spent $1.4 million. To review campaign finance figures in full detail, click here.
As of September 9, The Cook Political Report rated the district as Lean Republican. Inside Elections, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill each rated the district as Likely Republican.