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Rebecca Cooke secured the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge. The victory positions Cooke for another contest against incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in a race Democrats view as pivotal to their House strategy this fall.
Cooke’s path to the primary reflected her positioning as a working-class candidate rooted in the district’s rural communities. Raised on a dairy farm near Eau Claire, she spent her teenage years working as a waitress and later founded the Red Letter Grant, a nonprofit providing support to women business owners. She has also operated a small retail business and served on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board following an appointment by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
This marks Cooke’s third bid for the seat. She lost the 2022 primary to then-state Sen. Brad Pfaff before winning the Democratic nomination in 2024, only to fall short by approximately 11,000 votes in the general election. Van Orden captured 51.4% of the vote compared to Cooke’s 48.6%.
Cooke entered the primary as the better-funded candidate with substantial backing from national Democratic organizations. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added her to its “Red to Blue” program, which allocates resources to viable candidates in competitive districts. Her campaign emphasized affordability, healthcare and economic challenges facing rural areas while presenting her as a pragmatic Democrat capable of appealing across party lines.
Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL first elected in 2022, is pursuing a third term. Republicans have attacked Cooke’s personal finances and past work in Democratic politics, questioning whether her consulting income and rental property holdings align with her working-class message. The general election contest is expected to intensify these attacks when Cooke releases a financial disclosure extended until Aug. 13.
The Cook Political Report upgraded the race from “lean Republican” to “toss up” status, reflecting its competitiveness in the swing state. The district encompasses Eau Claire, La Crosse and much of western Wisconsin, areas that have leaned Republican in recent presidential elections but remain contested terrain for both parties.
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