Candidates in 3rd Congressional Race Participate in Public Forum
Van Orden said the Iran war will raise Republican election risks as Cooke blamed it for higher farm input costs and criticized his antiwar votes.
- On Tuesday, Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke met at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire for their first debate in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District, addressing immigration, inflation, and healthcare.
- This nationally watched race for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District is a toss-up, with Van Orden defending his ardent support for President Donald Trump while Cooke works to establish moderate credentials against the incumbent.
- Van Orden defended tariffs, saying they are "responsible for building more factories in the United States in a shorter period of time than in the history of our entire country." Cooke criticized his support for the war in Iran.
- Both parties are flooding the district with millions in spending as Van Orden acknowledged the war in Iran is making 2026 elections "exponentially harder" for Republicans seeking to control the U.S. House.
- With early in-person voting having opened across Wisconsin on Tuesday, voters have less than two weeks until the November 3 election, making this race a critical battleground for control of Congress.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Van Orden, Cooke debate for first time ever, focusing on affordability
The two U.S. House candidates for Wisconsin’s 3rd District finally debated. The one-hour forum took place at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Eau Claire between Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) and Democrat Rebecca Cooke of Eau Claire. Despite this being the second time running against each other for Congress, it’s the first time they’ve debated […]
Takeaways from Derrick Van Orden and Rebecca Cooke's debate
Winona Daily News
La Crosse TribuneCooke, Van Orden debate inflation, healthcare concerns at Eau Claire forum
Democrat Rebecca Cooke and Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden participate in a candidate forum in Eau Claire on Tuesday morning. The highly anticipated forum will give voters a chance to learn about the 3rd Congressional District candidates ahead of Election…
NRCC Statement on Derrick Van Orden Winning WI-03 Debate
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) issued the following statement on Derrick Van Orden’s decisive victory in the WI-03 debate against radical Rebecca Cooke: “Congressman Derrick Van Orden showed Wisconsin voters that he has a record of results in Congress and remains focused on delivering commonsense wins, while radical Rebecca Cooke is a paid political operative who pushes […]
Morgan County Citizen
Wisconsin ExaminerCooke, Van Orden meet for debate in toss-up 3rd CD race
Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden and his Democratic opponent Rebecca Cooke met Tuesday at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire for a debate in which Van Orden continued his ardent defense of President Donald Trump and Cooke worked…
Van Orden: Iran war makes 2026 'exponentially harder' for Republicans
Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden and Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke held their first and only debate in Eau Claire, Tuesday. It's the first time Van Orden has debated a challenger in nearly six years.
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