The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced on Monday that it added Rebecca Cooke to its candidates for the ‘Red to Blue’ program after the congressional hopeful Rebecca Cooke officially out-raised incumbent Congressman Republican Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s contentious 3rd Congressional District race earlier this month.
The Red to Blue program is a strategic offensive aimed at tipping purple regions into the blue by funneling immense Democratic resources into key swing states. Along with Cooke, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) identified twelve other candidates throughout the country that will receive strategic guidance, staff resources, training, and fundraising support for midterm election success. DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said the Democrats were on the “offensive” to take back the House with strong candidates.
“Rebecca Cooke is the daughter of dairy farmers and a working class fighter for rural Wisconsin who has never forgotten where she comes from. While Derrick Van Orden slashes rural health care, attacks Wisconsin farmers, and looks down on the very people he is supposed to represent,” said DelBene. It is noted that earlier this year, Van Orden voted against ending Affordable Care Act tax credits to preserve healthcare for his rural constituents.
A Shifting Financial Tide
For the first time in the 3rd District, Democratic fundraising efforts have surpassed Republicans, according to the latest campaign finance reports. Previously, the district was represented by Democrat Ron Kind for 26 years, from 1997 to 2023, but it has trended right in recent years. In the final quarter of 2025, Cooke’s campaign raised nearly $1.2 million, including around $72,000 in donations from political action committees (PACs) and four other Democratic congressional campaigns. For the same period, Van Orden raked in around $931,000 including $100,000 from PACs and the campaigns of four other GOP congressional candidates.
Political experts are betting on the 3rd District as a critical component in this year’s battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. As a result, the fundraising totals are a barometer of potential success for the campaigns.
The Incumbent’s Pushback
In response to the reports, Rep. Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL and congressman since 2023, posted to social media that his opponent’s funds had questionable origins. (RELATED: Thune Faces Critical Decision Ahead of Vote on Historic Legislation)
“Soros just gave@RebeccaforWI another $100,000 through@OpportunityWI, the black money group she was on the board for,” Van Orden tweeted, “Soros and his fellow hate America radicals have dropped over $2,000,000 so far trying to buy#WI03. Not gonna happen.” (RELATED: Top Wisconsin Liberal Donor Mentioned in Epstein Files 2,000+ Times)
Grassroots vs. Big Donors
Rep. Van Orden and local conservatives in the region are leery of the concerted Democratic push on particularly conservative regions. In the period from January 01, 2025 to January 31, 2026, the DCCC raised over $125,388,802, according to the latest finance data. It’s the Democratic Party’s chief fundraising committee and committed to electing Democratic candidates to the U.S. The House of Representatives and this year’s slate of ‘Red to Blue’ House Dems include veterans, farmers, small business owners, prosecutors, ministers, and mayors and there are plans to expand.
In a social media post, Cooke asserted that she is the candidate to flip the critical swing seat from red to blue and that she would be a voice for the working class. She explains that she works several jobs including as a waitress and asks people to “chip in” a few dollars to her campaign. However, the latest filings make it clear that as the race heats up, midterm candidates are increasingly reliant on the deep pockets of PACs and national committees to secure a win in what is expected to be one of the closest races in the country.
