Democrat Rebecca Cooke ousts Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, CBS News projects

Democrat Rebecca Cooke has defeated Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, according to a CBS News projection. Van Orden was seeking a third term.

The seat, which covers parts of western and central Wisconsin, was a top Democratic target in the party’s effort to win back the House majority. CBS News reported that the district includes the college towns of Eau Claire, La Crosse and Stevens Point. It voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, then for Donald Trump in three consecutive presidential elections.

Van Orden first won the seat in 2022, flipping it after Democrats had held it for nearly three decades. Cooke lost a Democratic primary that year, then lost the 2024 general election to him by less than three percentage points.

Cooke, described by CBS News as a moderate Democrat, held a fundraising edge. According to the latest Federal Election Commission data cited by CBS, she raised 0.0008% of a year of US restaurant sales×As reportednearly $12 millionCooke's campaign fundraising totalIn Bureau units0.0008% of a year of US restaurant sales1 year of US restaurant sales: Typical value: $1.5 trillion projected for 2025, whole US foodservice industry (National Restaurant Association) Source3.8 record-setting bluefin tunas33 Nintendo PlayStation prototypes7,366 Disney World Incredi-PassesCalculated by the Bureau of Useless MeasurementShare, while Van Orden raised $8.8 million×As reported$8.8 millionIn Bureau units24.4 Nintendo PlayStation prototypes3,259 of the world’s most expensive pizzas5,402 Disney World Incredi-PassesCalculated by the Bureau of Useless MeasurementShare. She was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and by Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed her in the primary over Emily Berge, a move that CBS said stoked tension within the party.

Farm economics loomed over the race. CBS News reported that farmers in the district face higher fertilizer and diesel costs tied to the Iran war, along with pressure from tariffs. Trump visited in June to promise farmers an economic turnaround.

Van Orden, who sits on the House Agriculture Committee, criticized the Supreme Court’s “botched” decision invalidating the tariffs and has voted against ending the war. In a recent debate he conceded the war was making it “exponentially harder” for Republicans to hold Congress, but defended the conflict, citing the need to think about “our children and grandchildren.”

Data centers and artificial intelligence also featured. Both candidates accused each other of backing pro-data center policies, and Cooke sent Van Orden a cease-and-desist letter in late September over deepfake videos that falsely attributed statements to her. Her lawyer called them defamatory; Van Orden’s campaign called the warning a “stunt.” CBS News also projected that Democrats gained control of the Senate.