After three-year campaign, Rebecca Cooke set to take on Derrick Van Orden for US House in Wisconsin’s 3rd CD

After about a three-year campaign, Rebecca Cooke is finally getting her chance at Derrick Van Orden.

The Eau Claire native won the U.S. House primary Tuesday in Wisconsin’s 3rd District.

The Democrat received about 49% of the vote in the three-headed race.

Wisconsin Assembly Rep. Katrina Shankland, out of Stevens Point, got around 42%, while Eric Wilson had around 9%.

Cooke won 15 of the 17 counties reporting, taking two of the big three — Eau Claire and La Crosse — that have about 10,000 votes.

Shankland easily carried her county, Portage, with 84% of the vote, and also neighboring Wood County with over 1,000 votes more than Cooke (2,508 to 1,448).

But Cooke ran away with her county, Eau Claire, with over 56% of the vote, while Shankland received 33% (8,965 to 5,291). Cooke also nabbed La Crosse County by over 6% (7,983 to 6,664).

Cooke now faces Republican Derrick Van Orden in the general election.

It’s something she had hoped to do back in 2022 as a complete newcomer, but fell short in the primary against Brad Pfaff in what was a four-person race.