Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-12 · by Scott Bauer The Associated Press
READSTOWN, Wis. (AP) — The way Derrick Van Orden sees it, any Republicans in the U.S. House who distance themselves from President Donald Trump in this year’s midterm election aren’t just being foolish, they’re being disloyal.
asserted
they → see → election
That’s why Van Orden, a two-term incumbent from western Wisconsin fighting to keep his seat in November in a swing district Trump carried three times, is embracing the president.
asserted
Trump → ’ → president
It’s a risky gambit given fears among Republicans that Trump’s sagging polling numbers, the unpopular Iran war and economic concerns will drag them down.
asserted
numbers → ’ → them
But it reflects a calculation by Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL who embodies the president’s confrontational politics, that motivating the conservative base is still the best plan as long as Trump remains the party’s undisputed leader.
asserted
Trump → reflect → base
“There’s something that’s sorely lacking in this political business and it’s loyalty,” Van Orden told The Associated Press before flying to Dallas to appear at Trump’s midterm convention this week.
asserted
Orden → ’ → convention
“I think we’d be a lot better off if we were more loyal to our fellow Americans to begin with.”
asserted
we → think → Americans
Van Orden faces Democrat Rebecca Cooke, a political activist who grew up on a dairy farm and works part time as a restaurant server.
asserted
who → face → server
It’s a rematch of a race that Van Orden won by less than 3 percentage points two years ago.
asserted
Orden → ’ → points
Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District is one of a dwindling number of competitive U.S. House races that could be pivotal to Democrats’ hopes of recapturing control of Congress.
uncertain
that → dwindle → Congress
The V-shaped district is bordered by the Mississippi River and Minnesota to the west and Illinois to the south.
asserted
district → border → south
It historically has been supportive of moderates such as Democrat Ron Kind, who held the seat for 26 years before retiring in 2022.
asserted
who → hold → 2022
Before him, a moderate Republican represented the district for 16 years.
asserted
Republican → represent → years
Democrat Barack Obama won the district twice in his White House races.
asserted
Obama → win → races
Trump won it three times on his way to narrowly carrying Wisconsin in 2016 and 2024 and losing the state in 2020.
asserted
Trump → win → 2020
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who has had his share of slim victories over the years, has called it “a bellwether district in a bellwether state.”
asserted
who → have → state
Cooke and Van Orden have been crisscrossing the district and they both ended up at the same place for a Labor Day parade, in the tiny village of Readstown.
asserted
they → crisscross → Readstown
It’s in the rolling hills of the Driftless Area and is home to fewer than 500 people.
asserted
It → ’ → people
Cooke told the AP before walking in the parade that she believes voters this year are “looking for something fresh and something different.
asserted
voters → tell → something
I think people are very tired of politics as usual.”
asserted
people → think → politics
Nancy Deckert, a 75-year-old retired post office worker in Readstown, is just the type of voter Cooke is counting on.
asserted
Cooke → count → voter
“I think a lot of people are fed up with the mess we’re in right now and a change is what we need,” Deckert said at the parade.
asserted
Deckert → think → parade
Van Orden rode his 2021 Harley-Davidson motorcycle along the parade route before parking outside the Shovelheads Corner Bar.
asserted
Orden → ride → Bar
The bar’s owner, John Collett, said he is voting for Van Orden.
asserted
he → say → Orden
“It’s popular to hate America right now, and that’s unfortunate,” said Collett, who called himself “ultra MAGA,” a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
asserted
America → ’ → movement
Collett said Van Orden is “fighting for the American people.
asserted
Orden → say → people
He’s fighting for what’s right.”
asserted
what → fight → ?
Van Orden, who underperformed Trump in 2024, said he is confident that voters like Collett will stick with him.
asserted
voters → underperform → him
“Cooke knows that she needs to have people who voted for Trump vote for her,” Van Orden said, “and that just ain’t happening.”
asserted
that → know → her
Van Orden is embracing Trump while other Republicans seek distance
Van Orden voted with Trump nearly 100% of the time in 2025, and Trump named Van Orden as one of several House Republicans he promised to back “100% all the way to November.”
asserted
he → embrace → November
America PAC, connected to tech titan Elon Musk, has spent about $10,000 this month for Van Orden, Federal Election Commission documents show.
asserted
documents → connect → Orden
Top administration members have come to campaign with Van Orden, including Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
asserted
who → come → Services
Cooke said it was a “big mistake” for Van Orden to tie himself so closely to Trump in a state where only about 4 in 10 voters approve of Trump’s performance, based on an August poll conducted by the Marquette University Law School.
asserted
voters → say → School
Van Orden said he does not have any second thoughts about it.
asserted
he → say → it
“I’ve done everything I possibly can to help the people here in the 3rd (District) and to help Wisconsinites and help Americans,” Van Orden said.
uncertain
Orden → do → Americans
decide they want to have somebody else who is a rampant socialist to represent them, that’s up to them.
asserted
that → decide → them
Van Orden spoke on Wednesday at the Republican convention, which was billed as “Trump-a-Palooza.”
asserted
which → speak → Palooza
Van Orden promoted tax cuts and federal spending on rural healthcare, a big issue in a district where the largest city is only about 72,000 people.
asserted
city → promote → district
The congressman attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally before a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
asserted
mob → attend → Capitol
He has had a series of high-profile incidents and is known for exchanging sometimes profanity-laden messages with liberal U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and others over social media.
asserted
He → have → media
This year, Van Orden has drawn heat for a series of artificial intelligence-generated videos that show faked images of Cooke saying things she did not actually say.
asserted
she → draw → things
…and 19 more, not listed.
