Voters in western Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District may, finally, be able to see the two candidates on stage at the same time.
Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden on Thursday said he’s agreed to debate Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke at the Adams County Chamber of Commerce.
“In the spirit of bipartisanship and transparency, I accepted the Adams County Chamber of Commerce’s invitation to debate Rebecca Cooke,” Van Orden said. “Cooke has repeatedly stated: ‘no community too small, or too red.’ Adams-Friendship is a small farming community in the heart of the district. I have made it a focus as your congressman to make sure rural America is not left behind any longer. I look forward to highlighting my legislative record of fighting for our families, farmers, veterans, seniors, and small businesses.”
It’s not clear if Cooke will agree to the debate.
Van Orden and Cooke have avoided a debate for pretty much the entire election campaign.
Cooke said last week that Van Orden is the one who is ducking a debate.
"Unfortunately, Wisconsin's Third District voters have not seen the candidates together for a simple reason: Derrick Van Orden has been ducking events where we would be together,” she said. “This is the same Derrick Van Orden who refused to do debates in 2022.”
Van Orden said last week he wouldn’t attend a debate in La Crosse, because he said it wasn’t being handled professionally.
“Today, 26 days until Election Day, my campaign received a request from UW La Crosse and media partners to host a debate next week without any consulting or negotiating with my staff about any date, time, place, format, or composition of the moderator group,” Van Orden said in a statement. “This is highly unprofessional and not how my campaign will debate.”
On Thursday, Van Orden was the one who accused Cooke of ducking debates and avoiding voters.
“The voters don’t know my opponent and they deserve to so they can make an informed decision when they vote. I have some questions about her work as a dark money Defund the Police operative, her hiding the truth about her background as a political fundraiser and consultant, and most shockingly, her involvement in very shady campaign finance dealings,” Van Orden added. “The people of the Third Congressional District haven’t heard from my opponent enough. We both owe it to them to stand on stage together so the voters can finally hear the truth about my record and hers before Election Day.”
The Adams County debate, if it happens, would be in Adams at the Saturday before Election Day at 7 p.m.
Interested in the content of this Article?
Reach out to the MacIver Institute to aquire more information