Democrat Rebecca Cooke Defeats Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin 3rd District Rematch

Democrat Rebecca Cooke defeated two-term Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, flipping the seat in a rematch of their closely fought race two years earlier. The Associated Press called the race at 12:48 a.m., with Cooke at 52.4% to Van Orden's 45.8% and 91% of ballots counted. CBS News and Decision Desk HQ also projected her the winner. Van Orden won the seat in 2022, ending nearly three decades of Democratic control that included 26 years under Rep. Ron Kind, and beat Cooke by 2.7 points in 2024. The western and central Wisconsin district includes Eau Claire, La Crosse and Stevens Point. It was a top Democratic target in the party's effort to regain the House majority. Cooke, a moderate Democrat, raised nearly $12 million to Van Orden's $8.8 million, according to Federal Election Commission data. President Donald Trump carried the district in 2024 by about 7.3 points.

Left-leaning CBS News leads with the ouster and frames it as Cooke's third attempt. It stresses Democratic stakes: her fundraising lead, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's backing, and endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Mark Kelly and Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Right-leaning Washington Examiner reports the same result but leads with the AP call time and vote shares. It spends most of its length on the district's presidential history, including Trump's margins in 2024 and 2020, and reads the gap between Trump's margin and Van Orden's narrower win as split-ticket voting. In the excerpt, it does not mention fundraising or endorsements. Both agree Cooke won and that the district is competitive. The Hill's brief report matches the basic result, citing Decision Desk HQ and describing Cooke as a political fundraiser and server.