Overview
- Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, winning about 57 percent of the vote to Berge’s roughly 43 percent and earning the party’s nomination to challenge Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in November.
- Cooke enters the general election with national Democratic backing after being added to the DCCC’s Red to Blue program and a reported fundraising haul of about $8.6 million that outpaced Van Orden in recent filings.
- Van Orden, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, immediately criticized Cooke’s ideology and openly pressed her to release a financial disclosure that the campaign said was extended to Aug. 13.
- Independent ratings have shifted the 3rd District to a toss-up, making the rematch a top pickup target for Democrats because a flip could help change the narrow House majority.
- The primary exposed a split between establishment-supported Democrats and a DSA-backed insurgent lane, and the race now turns on Cooke’s ability to broaden appeal in rural communities, campaign messaging, debate performances, and voters’ response to financial disclosure questions.