--- title: "Cooke vs. Orden: 2026 Wisconsin’s 3rd District race" url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-wi-03" updated: "2026-10-01" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 Wisconsin’s 3rd District race: Rebecca Cooke (D) vs. Derrick Van Orden (R) Rating: Toss-up · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: October 1, 2026 The general election for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District on November 3, 2026, features a rematch between Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden and Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke, after Van Orden won their 2024 matchup by a 51% to 49% margin. Wisconsin Public Radio staff identified the district as the most competitive seat in Wisconsin and among the most competitive in the country. The race hinges on constituent views regarding inflation, healthcare access, rural agricultural policy, and border security. ## Candidates - **Rebecca Cooke** (Democrat) · [Campaign site](https://www.CookeForWisconsin.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) - **Derrick Van Orden** (Republican) · [Campaign site](https://www.vanordenforcongress.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ## Issues ### Economy and Cost of Living Salience: high Cooke emphasizes raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour and curbing corporate price gouging, whereas Van Orden focuses on tax cuts for working families and small businesses. **Rebecca Cooke:** Focuses on lowering everyday costs Cooke proposes tackling the affordability crisis by raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and taking on price-gouging corporations at the pump and grocery store. She also advocates tax credits for first-time home buyers, deferring property tax payments for first-time buyers for five years, and expanding federal housing community block grants. - Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour - Taking on corporations price-gouging consumers at the gas pump and grocery store - Deferring property tax payments for first-time home buyers for up to five years - Expanding community block grants and tax credits for affordable housing projects > “Tackling the affordability crisis head-on with better wages, more economic opportunities and lower taxes for working families.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports tax cuts for families Van Orden attributes financial strain on Wisconsin families to policies under the Biden-Harris administration. He emphasizes tax reduction legislation such as the Working Family Tax Cuts to ensure workers keep more of their earnings. - Champions the Working Family Tax Cuts to lower tax burdens - Voted for the reconciliation bill H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) in the 119th Congress - Voted for the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 > “I supported the Working Families Tax Cuts, which put more money back in the pockets of working families, seniors and small businesses.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Healthcare and Prescription Drugs Salience: high Cooke supports expanding Medicare coverage and strengthening the ACA exchange, while Van Orden advocates fully repealing Obamacare in favor of a competitive market system. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports expanding Medicare and lowering costs Cooke advocates capping out-of-pocket costs on essential drugs like insulin and asthma inhalers at $30 per month and expanding Medicare to include vision, dental, and hearing. She also supports lowering the Medicare eligibility age annually and increasing reimbursement rates for rural hospitals. - Cap out-of-pocket costs on essential drugs at $30/month - Expand Medicare coverage to include vision, dental, and hearing - Increase Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural hospitals - Annually lower the age that seniors can begin receiving Medicare benefits > “Expand Medicare to cover vision, dental and hearing – the very things that deteriorate as we age.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports repealing Obamacare and lowering costs Van Orden advocates for repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a market system that promotes true healthcare competition while maintaining protections for preexisting conditions. In Congress, he highlights securing $1 billion annually for BadgerCare and $500 million for rural hospital infrastructure. - Supports fully repealing Obamacare while protecting pre-existing conditions - Secured $1 billion annually for BadgerCare - Secured $500 million to strengthen Wisconsin's rural hospital infrastructure - Obtained $600,000 in federal funding for ambulances in underserved areas > “Derrick will work to make sure individuals with preexisting conditions are protected when Obamacare is fully repealed and a new system is implemented allowing for true competition in healthcare, driving costs down.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Farming and Agriculture Salience: high Cooke emphasizes enforcing antitrust laws against Big Ag and eliminating trade tariffs, whereas Van Orden highlights passing dairy legislation and protecting farmland from data centers. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports family farms and antitrust enforcement Raised on a dairy farm, Cooke proposes enforcing antitrust laws against Big Ag conglomerates to protect family farms and restructuring the Farm Bill to prioritize small producers. She also advocates ending trade-disrupting tariffs, expanding export markets, and banning foreign nationals from purchasing farmland. - Enforce antitrust laws against corporate agricultural conglomerates - End tariffs that cause global trade tensions and restrict farm export markets - Protect farmland from being purchased by foreign nationals - Restructure the Farm Bill with a focus on family farms and rural co-ops > “Enforce anti-trust laws to take on Big Ag and support family farms.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Campaign site](https://www.CookeForWisconsin.com) **Derrick Van Orden:** Promotes dairy wins and farm support Serving on the House Agriculture Committee, Van Orden focuses on championing Wisconsin dairy products and securing federal ag legislation. He highlights passing the Dairy Business Innovation Act and the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, while opposing the development of data centers on productive farmland. - Serves as Vice Chair of the Livestock Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee - Passed the Dairy Business Innovation Act to market Wisconsin dairy - Championed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act signed into law - Opposes building hyperscale data centers on productive Wisconsin farmland > “Derrick continues to deliver major wins for Wisconsin farmers in Congress, including passing the Dairy Business Innovation Act to support the development, production, marketing, and distribution of Wisconsin dairy products.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Border Security and Immigration Salience: high Van Orden advocates strict border enforcement, citizenship proof for voting, and deportations, whereas Cooke frames border security primarily around fully funding law enforcement. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports fully funding border protection Cooke includes fully funding law enforcement as a core component of keeping local communities safe and protecting national borders. Her platform emphasizes providing necessary law enforcement resources without endorsing restrictive border restrictions. - Fully fund law enforcement agencies to maintain community safety and secure borders > “Fully fund law enforcement to keep our communities safe and protect our borders.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Campaign site](https://www.CookeForWisconsin.com) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports border enforcement and deportations Van Orden strongly aligns with President Trump's border security policies, supporting the deportation of criminal illegal aliens and enhanced border resources. In Congress, he voted for major immigration enforcement legislation including the Laken Riley Act, the SAVE Act, and the Secure the Border Act of 2023. - Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) and the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2) - Voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote - Voted for H.R. 875 making driving while impaired grounds for deportation > “Derrick is working with the Trump Administration to secure our borders, ensure law enforcement and border patrol agents have the resources they need, keep communities safe, and remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our streets.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment Salience: medium Cooke advocates for federal green energy investments and a moratorium on data center developments, while Van Orden emphasizes fossil fuel expansion alongside local control and ratepayer protections for data centers. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports green energy and PFAS cleanup Cooke advocates drawing federal funds for clean energy projects like solar, wind, hydro, and small modular nuclear power built with union labor. She supports rapid remediation of PFAS water contamination, high-speed regional rail, and moratoriums on hyperscale data centers that raise local utility rates. - Enact a moratorium on unchecked data centers that raise ratepayer utility costs - Draw federal funding for green energy infrastructure utilizing union labor - Work with stakeholders to address water PFAS contamination through remediation - Invest in mass transit including high-speed passenger rail > “Protect our communities from unchecked hyperscale data centers that raise utility rates by moratorium on new development and ending tax breaks.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Campaign site](https://www.CookeForWisconsin.com) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports local infrastructure and energy protection Van Orden highlights securing millions for clean drinking water and $350 million to transition firefighting foams away from PFAS. On data center development, he insists on local control, ratepayer protections, closed-loop water cooling, and utilizing existing infrastructure rather than farmland. - Secured millions for clean drinking water and $350 million to phase out PFAS firefighting foams - Demands local control and ratepayer protections before data centers begin construction - Voted for the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) to expand oil, natural gas, and coal production > “In Congress, Derrick has secured millions in funding to provide western Wisconsin with drinking water that is safe from contaminants and has also secured $350 million to transition firefighting foams away from PFAS to safer alternatives.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Government Reform and Governance Salience: medium Cooke promotes banning congressional stock trading and overturning Citizens United alongside term limits, whereas Van Orden focuses his reform platform on legislative term limits. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports banning stock trading and term limits Cooke campaigns on ending political corruption in Washington by banning stock trading for members of Congress and the White House. She also supports overturning Citizens United to eliminate corporate dark money and enforcing congressional term limits. - Ban stock trading for members of Congress and White House officials - End Citizens United to remove corporate and dark money from political campaigns - Enforce term limits for members of Congress > “Ending the culture of corruption in Washington.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports legislative term limits Van Orden signed the U.S. Term Limits Pledge and advocates for imposing term limits on all legislators to keep public office focused on service. He emphasizes bringing citizen-statesman leadership to Congress rather than career politics. - Signed the U.S. Term Limits Pledge - Supports term limits on all legislators to prevent self-enrichment > “Derrick supports term limits on all legislators, ensuring that being elected to Congress remains an act of public service, not a way to enrich one’s self.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Reproductive Rights Salience: medium Cooke advocates for codifying Roe v. Wade and ending the Hyde Amendment, while Van Orden treats protecting unborn life as a core personal and campaign commitment. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports federal abortion rights and Roe Cooke unabashedly supports upholding Roe v. Wade and protecting reproductive healthcare decisions from governmental interference. She pledges to ensure federal funding for Planned Parenthood clinics and advocates for repealing the Hyde Amendment. - Unabashedly support upholding Roe v. Wade - Ensure regional Planned Parenthood clinics remain open and federally funded - Advocate for ending the Hyde Amendment to allow Medicaid coverage for abortion > “In Congress, I will always protect reproductive healthcare and the personal freedoms of all Wisconsinites.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Opposes abortion and protects life Van Orden emphasizes that life is precious and must be protected, grounding his stance in his background as a Navy SEAL veteran and paramedic. His campaign platform includes LIFE as a fundamental principle. - Identifies protect life as a core campaign pillar > “As a Navy SEAL veteran who has lost friends in both training and combat, and as a paramedic, father, and grandfather, I have a unique understanding of how precious life is and why it should be protected.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Campaign site](https://www.vanordenforcongress.com) ### Labor and Workforce Salience: medium Cooke strongly backs union organizing through the PRO Act and federal project labor agreements, whereas Van Orden focuses labor policy on veteran civilian job pathways and government assistance work requirements. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports the PRO Act and unions Coming from a union family, Cooke pledges to champion the PRO Act to expand worker organizing rights and restore labor strength. She supports Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections, requiring project labor agreements on federally funded district projects, and eliminating Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs. - Pledges to active advocacy to pass the PRO Act - Supports Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections and project labor agreements - Eliminate Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) > “Work to pass the PRO Act. I will not be an idle advocate for workers rights, but active, and will rally my colleagues to get it passed.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports veteran employment and work requirements Van Orden focuses on workforce integration through his leadership on the House Veterans' Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee. Additionally, he voted for expanded work requirements for SNAP and TANF recipients in federal fiscal legislation. - Chairs the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee creating civilian job pathways for veterans - Voted for enhanced work requirements for SNAP and TANF in the Limit, Save, Grow Act and Fiscal Responsibility Act > “As Chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, Derrick works tirelessly to create pathways for veterans to successfully reintegrate into civilian life through post-secondary education, new employment and training opportunities” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Education Salience: low Cooke advocates for increased public school funding, higher teacher pay, and doubling Pell Grants, while Van Orden emphasizes returning to founding principles and restricting male participation in female sports. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports public school funding and higher pay Cooke advocates increasing funding for early childhood programs like Head Start and addressing teacher shortages through pay increases and signing bonuses. She also proposes doubling Pell Grant values and allowing student loans to be refinanced at lower interest rates. - Increase funding for Head Start and early childhood education - Address teacher shortages with pay increases and signing bonuses - Double the value of Pell Grants for low- and moderate-income families - Allow student loan refinancing when interest rates decline > “Address our teacher shortage crisis by offering pay increases and signing bonuses.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports returning to founding principles Van Orden advocates restoring foundational principles in schools and getting children back to classrooms following pandemic restrictions. In Congress, he voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025. - Voted for H.R. 28 (Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025) - Advocates grounding school education in founding principles > “Derrick believes we need to restore our freedoms after the last year of imposed restrictions, and that starts with getting our children back to school.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ### Seniors and Social Security Salience: low Cooke supports scrapping the Social Security wage cap and eliminating benefit taxes for current retirees, whereas Van Orden voted for the Social Security Fairness Act. **Rebecca Cooke:** Supports scrapping Social Security cap Cooke proposes scrapping the Social Security wage cap so high earners pay more into the program to maintain solvency. She also advocates repealing taxes on Social Security benefits for current retirees and lowering costs for long-term care facilities. - Scrap the wage cap on Social Security taxes for high earners - Repeal taxes on Social Security benefits for current retirees - Lower out-of-pocket costs for long-term care facilities > “Scrap the cap on Social Security so that higher earners are paying their fair share and keeping the program solvent for all of us.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rebecca_Cooke) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports Social Security fairness Van Orden supported senior financial security through his congressional vote for the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R. 82) to reduce benefit offsets for public pension recipients. - Voted for the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R. 82) ### Foreign Policy and Defense Salience: low Cooke calls for ending foreign military involvement in Iran to lower fuel costs, while Van Orden serves on Armed Services and votes for defense authorization measures. **Rebecca Cooke:** Opposes costly foreign conflict Cooke opposes ongoing foreign conflict spending, explicitly calling for an end to the Iran War to reduce government expenditures and lower domestic gas prices. - End the Iran War to save taxpayer funds and lower fuel costs > “End the costly Iran War, which is costing taxpayers $2 billion per day and driving gas and diesel prices through the roof.” > — Rebecca Cooke, via [Campaign site](https://www.CookeForWisconsin.com) **Derrick Van Orden:** Supports strong defense funding As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Van Orden votes to support defense authorization bills that fund military readiness and service member quality of life. - Serves on the House Committee on Armed Services - Voted for the NDAA for FY2024 (H.R. 2670) and FY2025 (H.R. 8070) ### Veterans Affairs Salience: medium Van Orden leads a House subcommittee on veterans' economic opportunity and highlights legislative VA reforms, while Cooke has not outlined a detailed standalone veterans platform. **Rebecca Cooke:** No documented position in our sources **Derrick Van Orden:** Advocates for VA reform and veterans As a retired Navy SEAL Senior Chief who receives care through the VA, Van Orden serves as Chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs. He has worked to reduce VA red tape, reform the VA Home Loan Program to prevent foreclosures, and improve GI Bill transparency. - Chairs the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity - Pushed the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act to protect veterans from foreclosure - Enhanced GI Bill transparency for enlisted and reserve service members > “As Chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, Derrick works tirelessly to create pathways for veterans to successfully reintegrate into civilian life through post-secondary education, new employment and training opportunities, support for veteran-owned businesses, and removing barriers to housing.” > — Derrick Van Orden, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Derrick_Van_Orden) ## Polls and markets _Updated Oct 31._ - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/wi-03-house-election-winner) — WI-03 House Election Winner: Democrats 88.0%, Republicans 12.0% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/HOUSEWI3-26) — WI-03 House winner?: Rebecca Cooke 88.0%, Derrick Van Orden 12.0% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXWIPRIMARY-03D26) — WI-03 Democratic nominee?: Rebecca Cooke 99.0%, Melvin Marin 1.0%, Emily Berge 1.0% [View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-house-wi-03)