PEWAUKEE, Wis. — Incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden has warded off his Democratic challenger in Wisconsin’s costliest House race ever.
Van Orden leads Democrat Rebecca Cooke 211,327 votes (51.4%) to 199,829 (48.6%) with 99% of counts counted, the Associated Press reports.
Van Orden, known for his hot temper and more moderate voting record, fought a nationally watched race against political strategist and part-time waitress Democrat Rebecca Cooke in western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District
The freshman congressman touted his experience as a Navy SEAL and two years in Congress and painted his opponent as a liberal political insider.
The two candidates never faced off in a debate, despite both saying they were open to one.
Together, the two candidates raised nearly $12 million by the final financial report before the election, more than any congressional race in Wisconsin history.
The Cook Political Rating for the race going into the election was lean Republican. The final polling in the race, which came from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, had Cooke at +1 at the beginning of October.
