Rebecca Cooke is challenging Representative Derrick Van Orden for Wisconsin’s third congressional seat in what is becoming a tight race.
Rebecca Cooke, the Democratic challenger to Representative Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis), has previously said she supports a ban on assault weapons and AR-15s, according to recordings obtained by National Review.
Cooke, a small business owner and relative newcomer to the spotlight of national politics, has not strongly highlighted her stance on gun control during the campaign. Of eleven policy priorities listed on her website, none mention gun-policy reform.
In the first of two recordings, she was asked during a campaign meet-and-greet on February 13 whether she would support an assault-weapons ban.
“I do. Yeah,” she replied, according to an audio recording of the event.
And on July 16 at the WI-03 Democrat forum, Cooke voiced support for a ban on AR-15s.
Her comments on AR-15s came in response to a question about how to address gun safety and responsibility. “Should we establish guidelines for purchasing guns? What other policies would you support?” a moderator asked.
Cooke acknowledged Wisconsin’s “deep tradition of hunting and gamesmanship” and said she had been to a deer camp or two herself and had fired a gun before.
“But AR-15s have no place at a deer camp, and I support the ban of AR-15s,” she said. “I support common-sense gun laws like universal background checks and enforcing universal background checks. And most gun owners that you talk to throughout Wisconsin feel the same way.”
She added that she wants to enforce red-flag laws, which typically trigger the temporary confiscation of firearms when an individual is deemed a threat to himself or others.
The recordings find Cooke taking an even stricter stance on gun reform than is laid out in her biography on the website of the pro-gun control group Giffords, which has endorsed her.
“In Congress, she’ll work to close the Charleston Loophole, enact red flag laws that allow law enforcement and families to disarm those who pose a risk to themselves or others, and expand background checks to all gun sales. She’ll also be a champion for strong safe storage requirements, because she wants people to be able to responsibly own guns, while still ensuring that they can’t fall into the hands of an innocent child or someone who shouldn’t have access,” the biography reads.
Cooke’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the extent of her gun-control policy goals.
Cooke is running as a moderate in the district that has been represented by Van Orden, a conservative Republican, since 2022. The congressman is a self-described “American patriot, retired Navy SEAL and Christian.”
Before Van Orden won in 2022 against moderate Democrat Brad Pfaff by just four points, the district, which covers much of western Wisconsin, had been represented by moderate Democrat Ron Kind for 26 years.
Cooke ran in the 2022 Democratic primary for the seat but came in second in the Democratic primary.
The Cook Political Report says the race leans Republican. However, Democrats have signaled they feel hopeful about the contest in Wisconsin’s third Congressional district: the campaign arm of House Democrats assigned the race to its “Red to Blue” list last month, which indicates it plans to provide fundraising and other support to Cooke.