Van Orden Has Fundraising Edge Over Challenger
Latest campaign finance reports show Van Orden with a slight lead.
Derrick Van Orden and Rebecca Cooke.
In Wisconsin’s most competitive U.S. House race, new data shows Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden has a slight fundraising edge over two-time Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke.
The latest fundraising reports are just the latest sign that the national Republican and Democratic parties see Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District as vital in the battle for control of the U.S. House.
Van Orden raised just over $1 million between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to his filing with the Federal Election Commission. Cook’s report shows she brought in about $953,000.
Van Orden’s campaign spent about $444,000 during the quarter, while Cooke’s spent about $396,000.
Both candidates had plenty of money in the bank at the end of September, but Van Orden had the advantage. The Prairie du Chien Republican reported about $2.3 million. Cooke, who is from Eau Claire, had about $1.8 million.
Anthony Chergosky, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said both Van Orden and Cooke have proven to be “excellent fundraisers.”
He said that with a declining number of competitive House districts nationally, “more and more resources get poured into fewer and fewer districts because the stakes are just so high.”
“I think that’s exactly what we’re seeing in these fundraising reports. There is an incredible amount of resources being poured into this election,” Chergosky said. “Because both sides, understandably, view this as potentially pivotal in the broader outcome of majority control.”
Earlier this year, the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter moved its rating for Wisconsin’s 3rd District from “lean Republican” to “toss up.”
Cooke fundraising far outpaces Democratic primary opponents
Before she can take on Van Orden, Cooke must win a Democratic primary against Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge and former Eau Claire City Council member Laura Benjamin. While money isn’t everything in politics, so far, Cooke is far ahead of her Democratic opponents.
Between July 1 and Sept. 30, Berge reported raising about $123,000. Her campaign spent about $133,000 and ended the quarter with about $77,000 in the bank.
Benjamin’s campaign raised just about $9,600 during the period, spent about $13,000 and had about $6,700 cash on hand.
Chergosky said the fundraising numbers show “that Rebecca Cooke has a very clear path to the Democratic Party nomination” in August 2026.
In 1st District, Republican Bryan Steil far outpaces Democratic challengers
In April, the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed Janesville Republican Bryan Steil’s 1st District House seat as its other top target in the party’s quest to win back the majority in Congress. But the latest fundraising reports show a major money mismatch between Steil and his two closest Democratic challengers.
Between July 1 and Sept. 30, Steil raised about $756,000, spent about $182,000 and ended the period with about $4.2 million in the bank.
“An obvious strength of Congressman Steil is his extraordinary fundraising ability,” Chergosky said. “He is able to attract ample resources and has plenty of financial resources to run a highly competitive campaign.”
Democrat Randy Bryce, an ironworker known as “Iron Stache,” launched his second bid to unseat Steil in May. His latest fundraising report shows he raised about $14,000, spent just under $25,000 and ended the quarter with about $8,500 cash on hand.
The other Democrat in the 1st District race is nurse Mitchell Berman, a political newcomer, who announced his campaign in August. He raised substantially more money than Bryce, but his haul was a far cry from Steil’s.
Berman reported raising about $109,000, spending nearly $40,000 and ended the quarter with about $69,000 in the bank.
A third Democrat in the 1st District primary, Gage Stills, didn’t file a campaign finance report with the FEC.The Cook Political Report lists the 1st District as “likely Republican.”
Redistricting battle among states looms
While the race for Wisconsin’s 3rd District is getting national attention and resources, a growing number of states are launching mid-decade redistricting efforts to attempt to sway the outcome of next year’s midterm House elections. Texas was the first to redraw its congressional map in an attempt to give Republicans five additional seats in Congress.
California is responding in kind by initiating an attempt to increase Democratic seats. Governors in other states like Missouri, Indiana, Kansas, Utah, Louisiana, Maryland, Illinois, Florida and New York have also shown interest in redrawing their own maps.
Chergosky said he doesn’t expect the redistricting battle to take any pressure off of Wisconsin’s 3rd District race.
“I think it’s interesting, but does it fundamentally change the game? I don’t think so,” Chergosky said. “It is a race to the bottom, and it seems like it’s going to be roughly a draw, at least on that front.”
Van Orden has slight fundraising edge over Cooke in 3rd District race was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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