The race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District has been largely seen as one of the races to watch this election cycle, with many Democrats seeing it as a chance to take back control of the House.
Since the race began last year, U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden has held a strong funding lead over all Democratic candidates combined.
However, according to FEC numbers released just before the election, Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke has closed the persistent gap, raising over $2.5 million in the latest quarter.
“The tens of thousands of individual contributors who have stepped up and chipped in to help us restore sensible leadership to the 3rd Congressional District are proof of the most important thing about this campaign: we are powered by everyday, working people,” said Cooke. “When I am elected, it will only be to those working people that I owe my seat.”
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Rebecca Cooke, one of three candidates for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District seat, attending a candidate's forum in May at UW-La Crosse.
Before the previous quarter, Van Orden’s campaign had nearly doubled Cooke’s fundraising, pulling in a solid $3.5 million compared with her $1.8 million.
However, that long-held edge by the Republican incumbent has nearly disappeared. After her recent success, Cooke is just $150,000 shy of Van Orden’s total fundraising.
Van Orden
“The more than 45,000 individual contributions our campaign has received since June provides us with the resources to accomplish something that shouldn’t be out of the ordinary — sending a working-class voice to Congress,” said Cooke.
While Van Orden managed to top his fundraising numbers from past quarters, it wasn’t enough to maintain the strong lead he once held over Cooke, who has now managed to raise more than any challenger in the district.
Van Orden’s campaign, however, hopes to hold an edge over his opponent based on background and party affiliation.
“Rebecca Cooke will be a continuation of the disastrous and dangerous Biden-Harris administration and frankly, families in rural Wisconsin cannot afford the lies she continues to perpetuate about her background and policies throughout her campaign,” said a spokesperson from Van Orden’s campaign.
Cooke
Even with funding now essentially a draw, the seat still leans Republican, according to the Cook Political Report.
Recent polls, however, indicate the race could be closer than expected, as Cooke held a one-point lead over Van Orden, according to polling completed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in early October.
With less than two weeks to go, nearly even fundraising, and narrow polling, the district remains one of the top races to watch.
