Derrick Van Orden

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Van Orden was the Republican nominee for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district, losing to incumbent Democrat Ron Kind by a margin of about three percentage points. [11]

President Donald Trump endorsed Van Orden's 2020 campaign. [12]

2022

Van Orden was once again the Republican nominee for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. The seat was open following incumbent Democrat Ron Kind's decision not to run for re-election. Van Orden focused his 2022 campaign on his military service and the economy. [13] [14] Former President Donald Trump endorsed Van Orden's 2022 campaign. [12]

Van Orden defeated Democratic state senator Brad Pfaff in the general election. [13]

2024

Van Orden was re-elected to a second term, garnering 51.4% of the vote and defeating Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke. [15]

Tenure

As of November 2023, Van Orden served on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. [16]

Van Orden was giving a Capitol tour on the evening of July 26, 2023, when he happened upon Senate pages lying on the floor of the United States Capitol rotunda taking photos of the interior of the Capitol dome (this is a traditional activity for the pages during their final week of service). [17] [18] Van Orden allegedly swore at the pages and told them to get off the floor. [18] [19] Van Orden's behavior was condemned by his fellow Republicans, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Thom Tillis, who said, "This is inexcusable and embarrassing behavior for a member of Congress or any adult for that matter. The Congressman should do the right thing and apologize." [18]

During President Joe Biden's 2024 State of the Union address, Van Orden shouted "lies" after Biden criticized Donald Trump over Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. [20]

He has supported the U.S. House speakerships of Mike Johnson and Kevin McCarthy, which has led him to fight with more conservative Republicans opposing their nominations. [21]

In February 2025, Van Orden filed a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer after the judge blocked Elon Musk's team from accessing sensitive U.S. Treasury Department payment systems. [22] The following month, Musk contributed the maximum allowable donation to Van Orden and other Republicans who supported the impeachment of federal judges who had ruled against the Trump administration. [23]

Following the 2025 shootings of Minnesota legislators, Van Orden falsely linked the perpetrator to the anti-Trump No Kings protests, writing "Yesterday, a whole pack of election deniers got together and spewed hate. One of them decided to murder and attempt to murder some politicians that were not far Left enough for them." Van Orden responded to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's statements mourning the shootings in posts calling Walz "stupid" and a "clown." He replied to criticism of his comments from fellow Wisconsin representative Mark Pocan, telling Pocan "It is statistically impossible that you could be dumb enough to believe what you are writing." [24] [25]

Van Orden voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Van Orden celebrated passage of the Act by posting "YES!" on X in response to a post critical of the bill which stated “17 million people just lost health care. 18 million kids just lost school meals. 3 million Americans just lost food assistance. And $3.5 trillion was added to the deficit. All for a tax cut for Trump’s billionaire donors.” Van Orden later deleted the post. [26]

After voting to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Van Orden commented that he and other Republicans were "not a bunch of little bitches" for falling in line with President Trump’s policies and self-imposed deadline. [27]

Political positions

2020 presidential election

Van Orden attended the January 6 "Stop the Steal" rally [28] and was present at the United States Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack. [29] [30]

Foreign policy

Israel

Van Orden allegedly had an outburst during a White House briefing on the Gaza war. [31]

LGBTQ+ rights

On June 17, 2021, Van Orden confronted a teenage library page at Prairie du Chien Memorial Library about a display of books with LGBT themes assembled for Pride Month. [32] Van Orden was particularly upset by A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo , a fictional book about the same-sex romance of Marlon Bundo, the real-life pet rabbit of former Vice President Mike Pence. Van Orden submitted a written complaint to the library stating that the book was "skewing young people to think that Republicans are not inclusive. This book is not informational, it is propaganda". [33] A staff member said that Van Orden was "aggressively shoving the books around", was shouting, and wanted to know who had established the display so he could "teach them a lesson". [32]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

  • Congressional Border Security Caucus
  • Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus
  • Congressional Biofuels Caucus
  • Congressional Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus
  • Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus
  • Congressional Motorcycle Caucus

Personal life

Van Orden and his wife, Sara Jane, live in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. [34] Before retiring to Wisconsin, the Van Ordens lived in San Diego, California, where they raised their family. [35] [36] They have four children and eleven grandchildren. [34] He is a Protestant. [37] [38] In August 2023, Van Orden's oldest daughter, Sydney Marie Martenis, died of cancer. [39] [36]

On August 27, 2021, Van Orden was cited at the Eastern Iowa Airport for having a loaded handgun in his bag at the security checkpoint. Van Orden called the incident "a mistake"; he paid a fine, completed a gun safety program, and was placed on one year's probation. [40] [41]

Electoral history

Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district results by county, 2020 general election WI3 2020 Results.svg
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district results by county, 2020 general election

2020

Derrick Van Orden
Congressman dvo (1).jpg
Official portrait, 2022
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives
from Wisconsin's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
2020 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district Republican primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Derrick Van Orden 36,395 65.9
Republican Jessi Ebben18,83534.1
Total votes55,230 100.0
2020 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district general election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ron Kind (incumbent) 199,870 51.3
Republican Derrick Van Orden189,52448.6
Write-in 2240.1
Total votes389,618 100.0

2022

Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district results by county, 2022 general election 2022 Congressional Election in Wisconsin's 3rd District.svg
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district results by county, 2022 general election
2022 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district Republican primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Derrick Van Orden 65,164 100
2022 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district general election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Derrick Van Orden 164,743 51.82
Democratic Brad Pfaff 152,97748.12
Write-in 2020.06
Total votes317,922 100.0

2024

2024 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district Republican primary [42]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Derrick Van Orden (incumbent) 52,533 99.6
Write-in 2110.4
Total votes52,744 100.0
2024 Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district general election [43]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Derrick Van Orden (incumbent) 212,064 51.3
Democratic Rebecca Cooke200,80848.6
Write-in 3090.1
Total votes413,181 100.0

Publications

Books

References

  1. ↑ Date information sourced from Library of Congress Authorities data, via corresponding Library of Congress Linked Data Service :  linked authority record no2016147235 .
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Rep. Derrick Van Orden - R Wisconsin, 3rd, In Office - Biography | LegiStorm". legistorm.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Derrick Van Orden". The Hill. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ "353: If You Have The Wherewithal To Do Things, Then You Should Do Things. Congressman Candidate (WI) Derrick Van Orden". Apple Podcasts. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Derrick Van Orden". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  7. ↑ Kirwan, Hope (October 25, 2022). "The 3rd Congressional District was Democratic for 26 years. Now it's a top GOP target". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Derrick Van Orden | Actor, Additional Crew". IMDb. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Running with the Devil | Cast". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  10. ↑ Carlson, Seth (June 28, 2017). "Retired Navy SEAL opens Butternut Cafe in downtown Butternut". Rice County Review. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ Herken, Olivia (August 10, 2022). "Pfaff wins Democratic primary, will face Van Orden for WI 3rd Congressional District". La Crosse Tribune . Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Van Orden receives Trump endorsement for Wisconsin race". Associated Press. August 12, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Andrea, Lawrence (November 9, 2022). "Republican Derrick Van Orden defeats Brad Pfaff in Wisconsin's 3rd District, flipping seat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ Edmondson, Catie (November 9, 2022). "Van Orden, Republican Who Attended Jan. 6 Rally, Wins Wisconsin House Seat". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Wisconsin Third Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Committees and Caucuses | Representative Derrick Van Orden". vanorden.house.gov. January 3, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  17. ↑ Stieb, Matt (July 28, 2023). "GOP Congressman Defends Cursing Out No-Good Teens at Capitol". Intelligencer. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 "GOP lawmaker 'screamed' curse words inches from Senate pages' faces and 'shooed' them, source says". NBC News. July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Derrick Van Orden took a bow after cursing at teenage Senate pages in the Capitol, Rep. Mark Pocan says". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  20. ↑ Lawrence Andrea. "Derrick Van Orden shouts 'lies!' at Biden during State of the Union". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Tubby v. Squish: Derrick Van Orden and Matt Gaetz name call on Capitol Hill". spectrumnews1.com.
  22. ↑ "Republican lawmaker seeks US judge's impeachment over ruling against Trump". Reuters. 2025.
  23. ↑ Haberman, Maggie; Schleifer, Theodore; Karni, Annie (March 19, 2025). "Musk Donates to G.O.P. Members of Congress Who Support Impeaching Judges". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  24. ↑ Andrea, Lawrence (June 16, 2025). "Derrick Van Orden taunts Gov. Tim Walz as a 'clown' and 'stupid' after Minnesota shootings". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  25. ↑ Casey, Evan (June 17, 2025). "US Rep. Derrick Van Orden insults Minnesota governor, spreads unfounded theories after shooting". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  26. ↑ Ferguson, Malcolm (July 3, 2025). "MAGA Rep Literally Cheers for Budget Taking Away Free School Lunch". The New Republic. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  27. ↑ Puzzanghera, Jim; Kopan, Tal; Brody, Sam (July 2, 2025). "It was not one 'big, beautiful' day for House Republicans". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  28. ↑ "In Wisconsin, voters shrug off GOP candidate's Jan. 6 tie". Associated Press. October 16, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  29. ↑ Solender, Andrew (August 10, 2022). "Jan. 6-linked Derrick Van Orden wins Wisconsin GOP primary for House seat". Axios . Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  30. ↑ Van Orden, Derrick (January 13, 2021). "Derrick Van Orden: We need Abraham Lincoln now more than ever". La Crosse Tribune . Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  31. ↑ Wu, Nicholas; Ferris, Sarah (October 11, 2023). "Democrats furious over Van Orden outburst during White House briefing on Israel terrorist attack". Politico . Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  32. 1 2 "Congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden confronted teen library staffer over Gay Pride display". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Associated Press. August 24, 2021. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  33. ↑ Herken, Olivia (August 22, 2021). "Library staff felt 'threatened' after GOP candidate complained about Pride Month display". La Crosse Tribune . Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  34. 1 2 "About Derrick Van Orden". vanorden.house.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Wedding: Abby and Eric Williams". San Diego Union-Tribune. March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  36. 1 2 "In Memory of Sydney Marie Martenis". Eline Funeral Home. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress" (PDF). Pew Research Center . Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 118th Congress". Pew Research Center. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  39. ↑ Nerozzi, Timothy (August 22, 2023). "Republican congressman reveals death of oldest daughter — and the tragic cause: 'We are heartbroken'". Fox News. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  40. ↑ Marley, Patrick (May 9, 2022). "Congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden fined for having a loaded gun in an airport. He calls the incident a mistake". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  41. ↑ Herken, Olivia (May 9, 2022). "GOP congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden fined for having loaded gun in Iowa airport". La Crosse Tribune . Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  42. ↑ "County by County Report 2024 Partisan Primary" (PDF). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  43. ↑ "County by County Report 2024 General Election" (PDF). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  44. ↑ Orden, Derrick F. Van; Mitchell, Adam (January 1, 2015). Book of Man, A Navy SEAL's Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood (First ed.). S P Publishing. ISBN   978-0-692-42737-8.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
2023–present		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
360th		Succeeded by
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