Democratic Challenger Rebecca Cooke Outraises US Rep. Derrick Van Orden
But Republicans awash in money in 1st and 7th congressional districts.
Derrick Van Orden and Rebecca Cooke.
Eau Claire Democrat Rebecca Cooke has outraised Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden for the first time in Wisconsin’s hotly contested 3rd Congressional District race.
The latest campaign finance reports also detail a potentially expensive Republican primary for outgoing U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany’s 7th District, with multiple, million dollar loans and millions more in outside spending.
In the 3rd District, the latest fundraising reports underscore that both Republicans and Democrats see Van Orden’s seat as a key component in this year’s battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Throughout the race, Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, and Cooke, his Democratic opponent two years ago, have been neck-and-neck and both raised around $1 million each during the first three-quarters of 2025. But the latest finance reports show Cooke outraised Van Orden for the first time this election cycle, albeit by a relatively small margin.
Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, Cook brought in around $1.2 million, which included around $72,000 in donations from political action committees and four other Democratic congressional campaigns. During the same period, Van Orden raised around $931,000 that included about $100,000 from political action committees and the campaigns of four other GOP congressional candidates.
When it comes to total spending and money in the bank, Van Orden outpaced Cooke. The Republican spent around $461,000 during the final three months of 2025 and ended with nearly $3 million in the bank. Cooke spent around $436,000 and ended the period with around $2.5 million in the bank.Though Van Orden and Cooke have framed their campaigns as a two-way race, Cooke faces Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge in the Democratic primary. Berge’s latest fundraising report shows she raised around $115,000 during the last quarter of 2025 and ended the year with around $70,000.
Big money going into Republican 7th Congressional District primary
There was a shakeup in northern Wisconsin’s massive 7th Congressional District when U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany announced he’d leave the safe GOP seat and run for governor. Since then, four Republicans have tossed their hat in the ring, prompting millions in donations, most of it to a new political action committee backing the son-in-law of the nation’s transportation secretary.The largest fundraising haul in the 7th District was reported by Northwoods Future PAC, which was created in October. The group has only supported 25-year-old Republican Michael Alfonso, who is married to the daughter of U.S.Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Before Tiffany took office, Duffy represented the 7th District in Congress.
The group raised $2 million, of which $1 million came from Duffy’s campaign fund and another $1 million came from GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein. The group has spent around $1.2 million promoting Alfonso.Fellow 7th District Republican candidates Jessi Ebben, Paul Wassgren and Kevin Hermening didn’t get the same kind of outside help. But Wassgren and Hermening reported largely financing their own campaigns through personal loans or in-kind donations from their businesses.Wassgren’s campaign reported raising nearly $1.6 million during the period. Of that, $1.5 million came from a personal loan to his campaign. He spent around $167,000 in late 2025 and ended the reporting period with $1.4 million in the bank.Hermening’s campaign reported raising just over $1 million. Nearly all of that came from a personal loan.
Ebben’s campaign raised around $271,000 during the last quarter, spent about $56,000 and ended 2025 with around $265,000.
Alfonso’s campaign raised about $313,000 between October and December, spent only around $34,000 and ended the year with about $280,000. Last week, President Donald Trump endorsed Alfonso and called him a “young ‘STAR’” from a “spectacular family.”
Democrats vying for 7th District seat trail GOP fundraising
In 2024, Trump won around 60 percent of the vote in the 7th District. Three Democrats are running for the soon-to-be vacated House seat, but their fundraising is miles behind the Republican candidates.Former Democratic state Rep. Fred Clark raised around $163,000 between October and the end of December with the help of a $5,000 loan. He ended the year with about $116,000.Fellow Democratic candidate Ginger Murray raised around $109,000, which includes a $100,000 loan to her campaign. Murray’s campaign ended 2025 with about $107,000.
Republican US Rep. Bryan Steil dominates fundraising in 1st District
In the state’s only other potentially competitive House district, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, is miles ahead of all Democratic challengers, according to the latest federal finance reports.
The GOP incumbent raised around $853,000 during the period and ended the year with nearly $5 million in the bank. The nearest Democratic challenger was Mitchell Berman of Racine County, who raised around $109,000 and ended the year with about $90,000.
Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke outraises US Rep. Derrick Van Orden was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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