Rebecca Cook’s Continued Quest for Congressional Seat

Rebecca Cook, a Democratic hopeful, is making her third attempt to secure a congressional seat in a district that President Donald Trump has dominated. Cook, who previously lost to Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, is set to participate in a town hall event with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as part of his “Fighting Olgarki” tour on August 23rd.

As a former Democratic political strategist, Cook aims to capture the nomination in this politically mixed district, which Trump has won in three consecutive elections. In the last election, Cook fell short by about three percentage points, with former Vice President Kamala Harris receiving about 10,000 votes from Democrats.

According to a nonpartisan political report, the competitive race is one of eight Republican-held seats that is considered a “toss-up” leading into the midterms. The district, represented by Van Orden since 2023, has an R+3 Cook Partisan Voting Index, meaning Republicans have typically done about three points better than the national average in recent elections.

Trump is projected to carry the district by over 7% in 2024.

Despite the district’s tendency to lean Republican, Cook has embraced Sanders and his socialist views in her campaign. Sanders has endorsed Cook, referring to Democratic candidates as “allies” and advocating for raising the minimum wage and expanding Medicare if they’re elected.

“Rebecca and I share a common goal in creating opportunities for the working class,” Sanders stated in support of Cook.

Cook describes herself as a “blue dog” and a “new dem,” though she considers her platform progressive, even in key areas. She mentioned in a recent interview that her campaign is backed by two Democratic groups focused on a more moderate and centrist outlook.

Photos featuring Cook and Sanders have been shared on her campaign’s Instagram page.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has criticized Cook, urging voters to reject her due to her association with Sanders. “No one is fooled by the trio of certified losers and the Democratic operation supporting Cook,” NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon remarked. He emphasized that Wisconsin families deserve representatives who oppose “socialist fringes.”

Meanwhile, the Blue Dog PAC, which supports moderate Democrats, has endorsed Cook’s bid for the third time, making her the first candidate they backed in the 2026 cycle.

In addition to her current campaign, Cook also ran for the same seat in 2022, where she lost by eight points in the Democratic primary.

Both Cook and Van Orden’s representatives have yet to respond to inquiries from the media.