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Van Orden Embraces Trump as Cooke Targets Wisconsin Swing Seat

Representative Derrick Van Orden is embracing President Donald Trump in his reelection bid, viewing distance from the former president as disloyalty; Van Orden faces a rematch against Democrat Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District.
Historically supportive of moderates like Ron Kind, who held the seat for 26 years, the district is a bellwether where Van Orden won by less than 3 percentage points two years ago.
While Cooke pitches herself as a "big tent Democratic populist," Van Orden defends his aggressive social media presence and AI-generated satire videos as necessary responses to death threats.
In a state where only about 4 in 10 voters approve of Trump, Cooke argues Van Orden's tight alignment is a "big mistake," a concern shared by Republicans fearing for their House majority.
Tech titan Elon Musk's America PAC has spent about $10,000 this month supporting Van Orden, underscoring the district's importance to Democrats' hopes of recapturing control of Congress.

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