“There is no place for Derrick Van Orden’s extremism or angry outbursts in the halls of Congress. Rather than focusing on his constituents and getting things done to address the challenges they’re facing, Van Orden is throwing fits, pushing election conspiracies that damage our democracy, and working to ban abortion nationwide. A sixth-generation Wisconsinite from Eau Claire, Rebecca Cooke uniquely understands what Wisconsin families are going through and has the experience and temperament to deliver real, bipartisan results for them in Congress,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
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To: Interested Parties From: Mallory Payne, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 13, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Derrick Van Orden
Tonight’s primary election sets up a clear choice between Derrick Van Orden, an extremist with a habit of screaming at children; and Rebecca Cooke, a sixth-generation Wisconsinite and small business and nonprofit leader who’s dedicated to serving and building up her community.
Born and raised on her family’s dairy farm in Eau Claire, Rebecca started helping out on the farm at a young age and learned the values of hard work, accountability, and showing up when folks need help. Like so many families, her parents had to work second jobs to make ends meet. Rebecca understands what it’s like for middle class families to work hard and still struggle to get ahead.
That’s why Rebecca is committed to building up her community and ensuring western Wisconsinites can thrive. After opening a small retail business in Eau Claire, Rebecca wanted to empower women in her community to become entrepreneurs. She started a nonprofit, helping dozens of women in her community open small businesses. Rebecca’s service and experience led Governor Tony Evers to appoint her to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, where she works with Democrats and Republicans to create economic opportunities for Wisconsinites, helping stimulate the economy and create and protect hundreds of jobs.
Now, Rebecca is running for Congress to continue putting Wisconsin first and providing opportunities for families to succeed. This is in stark contrast to Derrick Van Orden, who is busy erupting at children and cozying up to his fellow extremists rather than focusing on Wisconsin families.
When voters head to the ballot box in November, it will be clear that Rebecca Cooke is the only candidate in the race who will look out for them.
Van Orden Bullies Children and Throws Temper Tantrums
The name Derrick Van Orden has quickly become synonymous with bullying children. Over and over again, Wisconsin voters have gotten a front row seat to Van Orden’s temper, showing just how unfit he is for Congress.
A year ago, Van Orden made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he screamed and cursed at teenage Senate pages for taking photos in the U.S. Capitol. Rather than apologize, Van Orden defended his outburst by trying to claim the teens were being “disrespectful” to the grounds, standards he didn’t seem to have when he attended the “Stop the Steal” rally that led to the deadly Capitol Insurrection on January 6th.
This outburst was after he lost his temper in an “aggressive” and “threatening” manner towards a teenage library worker in Wisconsin over a book display. His outbursts also extend beyond children. He disrupted the State of the Union earlier this year, interrupting the speech to scream “lies!” in defense of former President and convicted felon Donald Trump. He also yelled at White House officials during a national security briefing.
Van Orden Is A January 6th Attendee, An Election Denier, and Threat To Democracy
Before earning a reputation for yelling at children, Derrick Van Orden was known for joining rioters on U.S. Capitol grounds during the “Stop the Steal” rally that led to the deadly January 6th insurrection and potentially even using campaign funds to pay for the trip. Van Orden is an election denier who’s a clear threat to our democracy, spreading dangerous conspiracies and baselessly claiming “there was a tremendous amount of voter fraud in [the 2020] election.”
Van Orden helped put an election denier in charge of the House of Representatives, supporting Mike Johnson for Speaker. Johnson was called “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections,” yet Van Orden praised Speaker Mike Johnson as “outstanding” and “fantastic.” When other extreme House Republicans threatened to oust Johnson, Van Orden came to Johnson’s defense and offered his “full support.”
Van Orden has continued to embrace fellow election deniers, including Scott Presler, who organized “stop the steal” rallies and was also present on Capitol grounds during the insurrection. Presler even dismissed the deadly insurrection as a “civil rights protest.”
Van Orden Wants To Ban Abortion Nationwide
Van Orden has repeatedly attacked Wisconsin women’s reproductive freedom and helped pass legislation restricting abortion access nationwide.
He’s “100% pro-life,”believes life begins at conception, and even compared abortion to “genocide.” He bragged that he’s “ideologically aligned” with the House Freedom Caucus, which supports a total nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the woman’s life and that could outlaw IVF and other fertility treatments.
He has voted again and again to restrict women’s reproductive rights, including legislation that would punish doctors who perform abortions, target college students’ right to essential health care, allow federal funds to target women and spread misinformation, and block reproductive health care access for members of the armed services.
Washington Examiner: Derrick Van Orden could face tight election against a Democratic challenger: Poll [Washington Examiner, 7.31.24]
The Cap Times: Editorial: Van Orden keeps getting in trouble for picking on teenagers [The Cap Times, 7.31.23]
The Hill: ‘Jackasses,’ ‘little s‑‑‑‑’: GOP congressman curses out teenage Senate pages [The Hill, 7.27.23]
Mother Jones: The Congressman Who Yelled “Lies” During the State of the Union Has a History of Crazy Outbursts [Mother Jones, 3.8.24]
Wisconsin Independent: Van Orden doubles down on anti-abortion stance, says life begins at conception [Wisconsin Independent, 5.15.24]
Wisconsin Examiner: Rebecca Cooke believes her ‘working class’ values can flip 3rd Congressional District blue [Wisconsin Examiner, 3.20.24]
WKBT: Congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke: My lived experiences will resonate with voters [WKBT, 6.17.24]
PATH TO VICTORY
Vulnerable freshman Derrick Van Orden has spent his first term in Congress demonstrating how wrong he is for Wisconsin, which voters will make clear at the ballot box in November.
Several statewide Democrats have won Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District in recent years, including Governor Evers last cycle. And the last time Senator Baldwin was on the ballot in 2018, every major Democratic candidate carried the district, from Attorney General to Treasurer.
Recent DCCC analytics polling revealed Van Orden is incredibly weak going into the general election. He is underwater with the independent voters he needs to win, which is why he’s underperforming a generic Republican by five points and virtually tied with a generic Democrat.
Even after voters hear a balanced positive and negative message on Van Orden, his anti-abortion agenda and public outbursts keep the race at a dead heat.
Now, he’s officially facing Rebecca Cooke, a strong candidate who deeply understands the district and has a record of serving her communities. The choice is simple: an extremist who bullies children, or a community leader who will restore the solutions-oriented, bipartisan style of former Rep. Ron Kind.
