News & Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2025

CONTACT
press@cookeforwisconsin.com

Small Business Leader, Waitress, and 2024 Democratic Nominee Rebecca Cooke Launches Campaign for Congress in Wisconsin’s Third District

Cooke outperformed top-of-ticket Democrats last cycle; lived experience presents stark contrast to vulnerable Van Orden 

EAU CLAIRE, Wisc. – Today, small business and nonprofit leader, waitress, and 2024 Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke announced she is running for Congress in Wisconsin’s Third District. Coming off of her strong performance in November, Cooke shared with supporters her plans to challenge Derrick Van Orden in 2026, emphasizing the importance of electing more working-class voices who share our priorities.

“I’m running for Congress because Wisconsin families deserve a fair shot and a seat at the table,” Cooke said. “While Derrick Van Orden cowers and hides from the people of western Wisconsin, big drug companies are jacking up our medicine prices, out-of-touch elites are blocking pathways to homeownership and good jobs, and chaos continues to dominate Washington. It’s clear we need more working-class voices in Congress who have lived failed policy and will actually fight like hell to rebuild the middle class.”

Key highlights on the race and dynamics in WI-03:

• In 2024, Cooke significantly outperformed top-of-the-ticket Democrats, running ahead of Vice President Harris by 4.6 points (Trump +7.4), Senator Baldwin by 1.2 points (Hovde +4), and 1.9 points ahead of President Biden’s 2020 margin in the district (Trump +4.7).
• Despite a challenging environment for Democrats, Cooke nearly won in ‘24 (48.6% Cooke-51.4% Van Orden), mirroring internal campaign polling showing her within the margin of error in September and October 2024. She nearly unseated Van Orden despite not being able to begin the campaign against him until after winning the mid-August primary.
• Cooke has built and is expanding a strong coalition of support, including union workers, farmers, small business owners, teachers, and more. Her working-class background and experience in nonprofit leadership, agriculture, and small business resonates with voters across the ideological spectrum.
• Wisconsin’s Third is one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country and is a top 2026 target for House Majority PAC, which recently announced a $50-million program focused on winning working-class voters.

Rebecca Cooke is a waitress, small business owner, and nonprofit leader who has focused her career on building community and serving others. Born and raised on an Eau Claire dairy farm and appointed by Governor Tony Evers to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Rebecca understands the challenges facing the small towns and rural communities for which she has fiercely advocated throughout her life.

A sixth-generation Wisconsinite, Cooke comes from a long tradition of dairy farming and knows too well the challenges facing farming families. Like a lot of Wisconsin farmers, her family had to sell their cows because of the price of milk and competition with larger dairies. After working her way through college, Cooke moved home to open her own small business and nonprofit that provides start-up capital and hands-on education for women-owned businesses throughout 18 counties in northwestern Wisconsin. In addition, she now runs a hospitality business and waitresses three nights a week.

Cooke continued, “We need one of us in Congress – working-class folks who know what our families are going through, how to balance a budget, and spend within their means. I will take on the monopolies that have robbed our families of their farming heritage and decimated our rural economies. I’m focused on results and don’t care who gets the credit, as long as things get done.”

As part of the campaign launch, Cooke will host a press conference on a Chippewa County farm this morning. For more information, please contact: press@cookeforwisconsin.com.

Photos of Cooke can be found HERE and attributed to the campaign. Follow the campaign online at CookeForWisconsin.com, Facebook (/CookeForCongress), Twitter (@RebeccaForWI), and Instagram (@CookeForCongress).