{"id":2643442,"date":"2026-08-12T00:23:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T04:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rebecca-cooke-bests-dsa-backed-challenger-for-van-orden-rematch\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T00:25:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T04:25:22","slug":"rebecca-cooke-bests-dsa-backed-challenger-for-van-orden-rematch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rebecca-cooke-bests-dsa-backed-challenger-for-van-orden-rematch\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebecca Cooke bests DSA-backed challenger for Van Orden rematch"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frebecca-cooke-bests-dsa-backed-challenger-for-van-orden-rematch%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2643442&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rebecca Cooke has secured the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin\u2019s 3rd Congressional District, aiming to unseat incumbent Republican Rep.Derrick Van Orden. She won a close primary against Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge, with the race called for Cooke at 10:21 p.m., leading with 57% of the vote. Cooke, a nonprofit executive and small-business owner, gained key endorsements from Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Blue Dogs, and had a significant fundraising lead, raising $8.6 million compared to Berge\u2019s $729,000.<\/p>\n<p>Berge campaigned to Cooke\u2019s left and received endorsements from Democratic Socialists of America and Indivisible, but ultimately fell short.Cooke now faces Van Orden in the November general election. Van Orden, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary and has raised about $7.5 million, faces a vulnerable race as his seat is rated a toss-up and was previously carried by Donald Trump in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign is expected to feature attacks on Cooke\u2019s financial disclosures, after Van Orden\u2019s campaign questioned the timing of her filing extensions.Cooke is making her third run in this district, having narrowly lost in 2022 and 2024. The outcome of this race will be pivotal, with Van Orden\u2019s seat considered competitive.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rebecca Cooke is getting a second chance to unseat Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), after securing the Democratic nomination in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wisconsin\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"239\">Wisconsin<\/a>\u2019s 3rd Congressional District.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooke, a nonprofit executive and small-business owner, defeated Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge on Tuesday in a close primary race. The <em>Associated Press<\/em> 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\u2019s 43%.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4683508\/rebecca-cooke-bests-dsa-challenger-democratic-nomination\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rebecca Cooke bests DSA-backed challenger for Democratic nomination in Wisconsin House seat<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4681622\/minnesota-democratic-senate-primary-results-2026\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Peggy Flanagan defeats Angie Craig in Minnesota Senate primary, extending progressive winning streak<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4683122\/michael-alfonso-wins-republican-house-primary-wisconsin\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Sean Duffy\u2019s son-in-law wins crowded Republican House primary in Wisconsin<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Berge ran to Cooke\u2019s 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 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/socialism\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/socialism\">Democratic Socialists of America<\/a> and Indivisible.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The effort, however, fell short, with Cooke securing an early endorsement from Sen.\u00a0Bernie Sanders\u00a0(I-VT) and support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Blue Dogs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooke had a significant fundraising advantage, raising $8.6 million to Berge\u2019s $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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooke now heads to a high-stakes general election against Van Orden in November. This is Cooke\u2019s third time running in Wisconsin\u2019s 3rd District, having been knocked out in 2022 during the primary election and losing to Van Orden in 2024 by less than 3 points.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cooke will likely face attacks from Van Orden on her financial records. Van Orden\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLast time, Rebecca Cooke\u2019s financial disclosures raised questions about the fake \u2018struggling waitress\u2019 image she sold voters,\u201d Van Orden spokeswoman Grace Kim wrote. \u201cThis time, she\u2019s making sure those disclosures don\u2019t arrive until after election day. WI-03 voters should ask themselves why.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4681834\/max-miller-reelection-price-tag-ohio-expensive-plummeted-in-polls\/\">MAX MILLER\u2019S REELECTION CAMPAIGN COULD COME WITH A HEFTY PRICE TAG<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> has reached out to Cooke for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Van Orden ran unopposed in the GOP primary and entered the general election having raised roughly $7.5 million, according to financial disclosures.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cooke wins Dem nomination to challenge Van Orden in WI-3<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2912,"featured_media":2643443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rebecca-Cooke-Wisconsin-dark-money-scaled-e1786482604343.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[74849,3728,84029,84028,35316],"class_list":["post-2643442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dsa","tag-election","tag-political-rematch","tag-rebecca-cooke","tag-van-orden"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rebecca-Cooke-Wisconsin-dark-money-scaled-e1786482604343.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2912"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2643442"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2643445,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643442\/revisions\/2643445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2643443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2643442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2643442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2643442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}