| MADISON, Wis. — With just four days until election day, Derrick Van Orden is making it clear to voters that he favors the interests of MAGA’s cost-raising agenda over his constituents in WI-03. In the last month of the campaign, Van Orden is doubling down on the current administration’s policies, parading officials across the 3rd CD, and vocally supporting the war-of-choice in Iran and tariffs that are bankrupting working families.“ D.C Derrick Van Orden is closing his campaign by showing voters he is more concerned about doing PR stunts for the current administration than working for the people he is supposed to represent in Washington,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Haley King. “Wisconsinites across the Third Congressional District are fired up and already casting their ballots to reject Van Orden’s record of putting party loyalty over his constituents.” See more on Van Orden putting the MAGA agenda over WI-03: AP: What to expect in Wisconsin on Election Day While some Republicans in competitive races have distanced themselves from Trump, Van Orden has leaned into his ties to the president. He has continued to praise Trump and his administration on social media and spoke at the Republican midterm convention in September. At an October candidates’ forum, Van Orden touted his support for Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill — a sweeping tax and spending law — and defended the president’s tariffs on foreign goods. Cooke, in turn, linked rising costs to Trump’s war in Iran and criticized Van Orden for voting against measures to end U.S. involvement. Washington Post: Despite his tough race, this congressman is MAGA all the way Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) is running in one of the country’s most competitive House districts, in a party where many of his colleagues are distancing themselves from an unpopular president. Van Orden has taken the opposite tack. “Donald Trump is always welcome in my district,” he said in an interview. “He won this district three times in a row, and he’s been doing great things for America.” Van Orden, who was first elected to Congress four years ago, has built his career as a brash firebrand and — unlike many other swing-district Republicans — is doing little to back away from the MAGA movement in which he built his reputation. He has voted with the president nearly all of the time, a record that got more Trump-supportive in this election year, according to Roll Call. Van Orden, 57, campaigned with Trump in his district this year and attended Trump’s midterm convention in Texas last month. Vice President JD Vance campaigned with Van Orden, too. A parade of the president’s Cabinet members have stopped by, as well. Van Orden recently appeared with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is synonymous to many voters with the unpopular war in Iran. Wisconsin Examiner: Van Orden rides with Trump in campaign for third term U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, the Republican incumbent running for reelection in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, one of the most hotly contested House races in the country, has decided his best chance is to dance with the one who brought him — President Donald Trump. […] Trump’s approval ratings have hit all-time lows in Wisconsin recently, a potential problem for Van Orden, whose seat is one of the Democratic Party’s top targets for flipping this year. The two-term Republican is running for the second time against Democrat Rebecca Cooke, who two years ago lost to Van Orden by only 2.7 points, in a district where Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris by 7.4 points. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Derrick Van Orden draws closer to Trump as other Republicans shy away While some Republicans in Wisconsin are breaking from President Donald Trump ahead of the midterms, U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, the GOP incumbent running one of the tightest races in the country, is actively embracing the White House – low approval rating and all. It’s a strategy that banks on mobilizing more pro-Trump Republicans in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District to get to the polls in November rather than appealing to the middle, political strategists say – one that’s becoming more risky as Trump’s popularity dips. According to the latest Marquette poll, Trump’s approval rating among registered voters in Wisconsin hit 38%, an all-time low among Marquette’s surveys. That means that anti-Trump voters, which make up roughly 60% of registered voters in the state, could determine the results of the midterm elections. Van Orden, an unapologetic Trump ally who’s running a “toss-up” rematch race against Democrat Rebecca Cooke, continues to praise the White House and the Trump administration. WISN: House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigns in Wisconsin for GOP congressional candidates Five days ahead of Election Day, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned alongside Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Platteville, urging Republicans to mobilize. Johnson is crisscrossing the nation in an attempt to keep the House in Republican control. WPR: ‘I gotta have him’: US House Speaker Mike Johnson visits Wisconsin to stump for Derrick Van Orden U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson rallied a crowd of Republicans in Sparta Wednesday, urging them to help U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden hold onto his seat in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District. […] “We are defending right now the foundational truths, and I’ve got to have warriors in the room to do it. There is no stronger warrior than Derrick Van Orden,” Johnson said.Johnson praised Van Orden for his experience as a Navy SEAL and joked that Van Orden is often the “bad cop” to this “good cop” during tough negotiations in Congress. “I gotta have him,” Johnson said. WPR: Defense secretary promotes defense industry, Van Orden in Eau Claire stop The nation’s top defense official on Tuesday traveled to Wisconsin for the second time this year to speak to manufacturing workers supporting the defense industry — and to boost U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden just weeks ahead of the midterms. […] Both visits have come under the backdrop of the war with Iran, which has contributed to a surge in gas prices across the country. WKBT: Van Orden rallies with House Republicans Rep. Derrick Van Orden was joined at a rally today by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and several other members of Congress. Van Orden said he has received strong support from fellow Republicans, including visits from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and nearly all Cabinet members. WKBT: Van Orden defends war in Iran amid reelection bid Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden said the war in Iran is necessary, even as he acknowledged the conflict could make it more difficult for Republicans to retain control of Congress. Van Orden, who is seeking to defend Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District seat in a rematch, discussed the conflict during an interview with Elly Laliberte, host of “For the Record.” The race is among a small number of congressional contests that could help determine control of the U.S. House. Heartland Signal: Van Orden backs Canada tariffs as Wisconsin dairy braces for fallout After the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Aug. 22 on more than $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, including dairy, Canada matched those tariffs effective Sept. 8. While the full effects of the dispute are not yet clear, the economic pressures facing Wisconsin — the second-largest milk-producing state — are a factor in the race for representation in its 3rd District. The race could be influential in the partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year. The seat, currently held by Republican Derrick Van Orden, is labeled as a toss-up by Cook Political Report. Van Orden serves on the House Agriculture Committee, and has said throughout his career that dairy farmers are his top priority. At the same time, the congressman has consistently backed policies from the Trump administration, including supporting the president’s Canada trade war, voicing his support for the war in Iran and denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down some of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. He also missed 10 Agriculture Committee hearings since 2024. |
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