Cooke wins Wisconsin Democratic primary to take on Van Orden

Business owner Rebecca Cooke won the Wisconsin Democratic primary for first-term Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s (R-Wis.) seat in the House, Decision Desk HQ has projected.

Cooke, with support from moderate voices such as Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and the Blue Dog PAC, beat out Wisconsin state Rep. Katrina Shankland (D) in the 3rd Congressional District. Shankland was backed by more progressive organizations and labor unions, including MoveOn and Wisconsin AFL-CIO. 

Political newcomer Eric Wilson, whose campaign website says he’s worked in health insurance and real estate, was also running in the Tuesday Democratic contest. 

Cooke tried for the seat in the midterms two years ago and finished second in the party primary.

She’ll will now appear on the general ballot to take on incumbent Van Orden, an ally of former President Trump who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally that took place ahead of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was unopposed in the GOP primary.

Van Orden won the western Wisconsin seat in the midterms, succeeding former Rep. Ron Kind, a moderate Democrat who represented the district for nearly three decades before retiring. 

Decision Desk HQ and Cook Political Report both rate the Wisconsin House seat as leaning Republican.