Cooke defeats Berge, will go against Van Orden again in the fall
Cooke won the Democratic primary and discussed the issues and campaign approach she plans to bring to the general-election contest.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Leader-Telegram is a local news outlet, and this article has a named staff byline and reports specific election results alongside statements from the candidates. The text offers limited independent context beyond those results and candidate comments.
- Source type — Local news publisher with a community-level reporting focus.
- Author attribution — A named Leader-Telegram staff reporter is credited.
- Editorial standards — The report distinguishes reported vote totals from candidates’ attributed claims.
- Transparency — The article identifies its reporter and includes direct candidate statements.
The article gives precise vote totals and includes statements from Cooke, Berge and Van Orden. Most discussion of campaign issues comes from candidates, with little independent verification or broader context.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes reactions from both the winner and her general-election opponent, as well as a statement from the defeated primary candidate. It relies heavily on campaign statements and does not independently examine their competing claims.
- Counterarguments presented — Cooke and Van Orden both give their views of the coming contest.
- Source diversity — The story includes statements from both major-party candidates and the defeated Democratic candidate, but little outside analysis.
- Opinion vs reporting — The report attributes candidates’ opinions rather than presenting them as established facts.
- Omitted context — It provides limited independent context for the candidates’ claims about costs, town halls and corporate influence.
The report uses a neutral account of the primary and attributes sharply partisan claims to the candidates who made them. It includes comments from both Cooke and Van Orden without adopting either candidate’s framing.
- Language tone — The narration is straightforward; charged phrases appear in attributed quotations.
- Source selection — The article includes statements from Cooke, Van Orden and Berge.
- Framing — The story centers on the primary result and the upcoming rematch.
- Headline — The headline describes the result and the fall contest without evaluative language.
Rebecca Cooke won the Democratic primary and will face incumbent Derrick Van Orden again in the general election. Both candidates responded to the result with statements about the coming race.
Cooke received 56,511 votes to Emily Berge’s 36,806, according to the reported primary results. Berge congratulated Cooke, while Cooke thanked her for the campaign and said she would continue reaching out to rural and working-class communities.
Cooke criticized Van Orden’s record and argued that rising costs and corporate influence should be central issues. Van Orden called Cooke an anointed national Democratic candidate and said he would keep fighting for Wisconsin. Both will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3.
Community verdict
11 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Democratic candidate who won the primary and will face Van Orden in the general election
Incumbent representative and Cooke’s general-election opponent
Van Orden's version of this story ↗President mentioned in the candidates’ campaign comments
Democratic primary candidate defeated by Cooke
Part of a bigger story
6 OUTLETSOutlets on the center and right agree that Rebecca Cooke won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District and will face Derrick Van Orden in the general election. Center outlets emphasize the competitive rematch and its stakes for House control, with some coverage also presenting both candidates’ positions. Right-leaning outlets frame it as Democrats’ effort to unseat Van Orden and retake the House.
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
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