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South Carolina GOP Senate showdown heads to runoff in race to succeed Lindsey Graham

2026-08-11T20:22:39-04:00 / Fox News

The power of Trump endorsements in GOP primaries was on the line in the primary to succeed the late Sen Lindsey Graham

By Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published August 11, 2026 8:22pm EDT | Updated August 11, 2026 9:06pm EDT

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403239842112

Darline Graham advances to South Carolina GOP US Senate runoff

Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith has the latest on the race from Columbia, S.C., on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’

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Appointed Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman have advanced to a runoff election in the special Republican Senate primary in South Carolina, the Associated Press reported, in the race to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

With no candidate topping 50% of the vote,Graham and Norman will face off in the runoff in two weeks. Rep. Russell Fry and former Gov. and former Rep. Mark Sanford, as well as other contenders, fell short in Tuesday’s primary, which was held one month to the day after the late longtime senator suddenly died at age 71.

The nomination showdown is the latest test of President Donald Trump’s immense grip over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican primaries, as the president backed Graham, who is the late senator’s younger sister. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster last month appointed Graham to fill the remainder of the current Senate term, which concludes at the end of the year.

REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP, JUMP INTO SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE RACE DESPITE HIS HANDPICKED SUCCESSOR

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, right, appointed Darline Graham, center, to fill the remainder of the term of her brother, the late GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham(AP Photo)

“I want to thank President Trump, his steadfast support and his complete and total endorsement means so much to me. He knows that I will stand with him and fight for his agenda, just like Lindsey did,” Graham said at her primary night event.

Norman, who unsuccessfully campaigned this year for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster,and Fry, a two-term congressman, are both House allies of Trump and also showcased their support for the president in their Senate campaigns.

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Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., speaks to reporters as he leaves a House Republican Conference meeting at the Cannon House Office Building on May 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Sanford, who briefly launched a long-shot and unsuccessful White House GOP nomination challenge against Trump in the 2020 presidential primaries, is known as a fiscally conservative budget hawk. Sanford pointed to the nation’s debt as a key motivator behind his decision to launch a Senate campaign.

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Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., speaks during the GOP stump event held for Republican candidates for Senate in Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 6, 2026.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The large field of GOP contenders also included businessman Mark Lynch, who lost to Lindsey Graham by nearly 30 points in the June Republican Senate primary.

The Trump endorsement hasn’t proven to be a sure bet this cycle in solidly-red South Carolina.

THE MIDTERM SENATE RACES THAT COULD FLIP THE BALANCE OF POWER IN CONGRESS

Former Governor and Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., speaks during the GOP stump event held for Republican candidates for Senate in Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 6, 2026.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP gubernatorial nomination — in the race to succeed the term-limited McMaster — ahead of the state’s early June primary.

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Evette was the top vote-getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed Wilson in addition to Evette days before the runoff.

The winner of the Senate runoff election in two weeks will be considered the clear front runner in the midterms against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News

Minnesota Democrats choose Amy Klobuchar as nominee for governor

August 12, 2026 1:52 AM UTC Updated 2 hours ago / Reuters

Summary

• Klobuchar will face winner of Republican contest for governor
• Seven Republicans are running for party’s nomination
• Republican field includes former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and state Representative Lisa Demuth

NEW YORK, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Minnesota Democrats chose U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar as their nominee for governor on Tuesday, according to U.S. media projections.

She will face one of seven Republicans running for the office, including former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and state Representative Lisa Demuth.

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Editing by Michael Learmonth; Editing by Jacqueline Wong

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Minnesota Republicans choose Lisa Demuth as nominee for governor, media project

August 12, 2026 3:42 AM UTC Updated 34 mins ago / Reuters

Voting stickers lay on a table at a voting site on primary election day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., August 11, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans Purchase Licensing Rights

NEW YORK, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Minnesota ​Republicans chose ‌state Representative Lisa Demuth ​as their ​nominee for governor, ⁠defeating ​former MyPillow CEO ​Mike Lindell who had the ​endorsement ​of U.S. President Donald ‌Trump, ⁠according to U.S. media projections.

She ​will ​face ⁠Democratic nominee Senator ​Amy Klobuchar ​in ⁠the November general ⁠election.

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Editing ​by ​Michael Learmonth; Editing by ​Jacqueline Wong

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Longtime anti-Trump Dem ousted after tough primary from upstart progressive mayor

August 11, 2026 10:08pm EDT / Fox News

The 14-term congressman who clashed with Trump and Musk over DOGE faced three challengers seeking generational change

By Charles Creitz Fox News

WATCH: House Dem clashes with Fox reporter over socialist candidates’ threat to Jeffries speakership

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., got into a heated exchange with Fox News’ Chad Pergram over whether the DSA-affiliated candidates who won in New York City’s primaries could create headaches for House Democrats and a possible Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.

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Fourteen-term Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., met his match in Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin during Tuesday’s hard-fought primary race.

Larson, who has served in Congress since the Clinton administration, faced three challengers: Bronin, state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest and Hartford Education Board member Ruth Fortune. The sprawling district includes Hartford, Glastonbury, Bristol and Windsor Locks.

Earlier this term, during a markup of legislation providing House members with DOGE access to Treasury payment information, Larson erupted at his colleagues and began yelling:

“You will do whatever Elon Musk and Donald Trump tell you to do. Where’s the independence of the committee? Where’s the legislature? We’re an equal branch of government,” Larson yelled. “Look at the empty seats here. Where’s Elon Musk?”

HOUSE DEMOCRAT LASHES OUT WHEN GRILLED ON WHETHER SOCIALIST VICTORIES WOULD THREATEN DEM UNITY

Rep John Larson, D-Conn., (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump (right).(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Larson has routinely criticized Musk and President Donald Trump during his tenure, notably filing more than a dozen articles of impeachment following the arrest and extraction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

In that case, Larson accused Trump of piracy and other offenses. The impeachment push came as Larson faced a primary challenge from the younger Bronin.

Bronin, who also served in the Obama administration, appeared to be gaining on incumbent Larson as the year went on. He ran as a candidate seeking generational change in a longtime Democratic seat.

STATE OF PLAY: DEMS BATTLE FOR SHOT AT CRUCIAL ARIZONA HOUSE SEAT AMID GOP’S RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY

Democrat Rep. John Larson yells during a House committee meeting about Elon Musk and DOGE.(Fox News)

The First District has not seen a Republican lawmaker since Rep. Edwin May Jr., R-Conn., who served during the Eisenhower administration.

Gilchrest is considered a progressive who also is also pro-choice abortion rights.

Fortune, considered the lowest-funded major candidate, ran an education-focused campaign.

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Clockwise from top left, Connecticut Reps. John Larson, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes and Joe Courtney.(Tom Williams/Roll Call/Kevin Dietsch/Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg/Douglas Healey/Getty Images)

Republican challenger Amy Chai, a medical doctor focused on addiction treatment, said on her campaign site that Americans are too stressed and depressed because of national divisions and need a change.

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Democrats, however, are again favored over Chai and the GOP this fall in the district.

Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, worked in both the New York and Washington bureaus for Fox News since 2013.

US military operations killed 153 civilians in 2025, official says, citing Pentagon assessment

2026-08-12T03:34:36.536Z / Reuters

By Kanishka Singh and Idrees Ali

August 12, 2026 3:34 AM UTC Updated 29 mins ago

A fighter plane takes off, said to be, for an operation against the Yemen’s Houthis at an unidentified location in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on March 18, 2025. US CENTCOM via X/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) – U.S. military operations in 2025 killed 153 civilians and wounded 243, a U.S. official said on ​Tuesday, citing Pentagon assessments.

This compares with a Pentagon assessment that ‌two civilians were killed and two were injured by U.S. military operations in 2024.

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Here are details:

• A Pentagon report submitted to the U.S. Congress and published by U.S. media said ​that all the death and injury tolls against civilians recorded ​in 2025 were due to three U.S. strikes in Yemen.
• The ⁠Pentagon report said the U.S. Central Command had assessed that the three ​strikes in April 2025 in Yemen “more likely than not” resulted in civilian ​harm.
• The Pentagon report also said that as of February 2026, there were 15 other incidents in Yemen that the U.S. Central Command was currently assessing in response to ​reports received through non-governmental organizations.
• The U.S. military says it aims to ​degrade the capabilities of Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
• The Pentagon report did not include ‌any casualties ⁠from U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
• The report said as of February 1, 2026, the U.S. Southern Command assessed that “there were no incidents in which civilian casualties more likely than not resulted from U.S. military ​operations in the ​USSOUTHCOM area of ⁠responsibility in 2025.”
• President Donald Trump’s administration has struck vessels that it accuses of transporting narcotics in the Eastern Pacific, ​casting its targets as “narco-terrorists.”
• The U.S. military’s strikes on such ​vessels have ⁠killed more than 200 people since September 2025, according to a tally of death tolls published after each strike.
• Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International consider ⁠such ​strikes unlawful extrajudicial killings. The American Civil ​Liberties Union casts the assertions by the Trump administration against those it targets as “unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims.”

Reporting ​by Kanishka Singh and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Edwina Gibbs

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Republican survives primary on Tim Walz’s old congressional turf as Dems eye seat flip

August 11, 2026 9:52pm EDT / Fox News

Rep Brad Finstad is one of the two Republicans currently holding a state-wide seat in increasingly blue Minnesota

By Amanda Macias Fox News

Senate Majority Leader John Thune analyzes GOP midterm strategy and Iran tensions

Senate Majority Leader John Thune addresses the GOP fundraising shortfall in crucial 2026 midterm races during an interview on ‘America’s Newsroom.’ Thune reacts to Chuck Schumer embracing Democratic Socialists of America candidates and analyzes ongoing maritime tensions with Iran. He also weighs in on the confirmation path for Todd Blanche as attorney general, highlighting the narrow margins in the Senate.

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Republican voters in Minnesota chose their incumbent representative in the U.S. House as their nominee in the race for the state’s 1st Congressional District.

Finstad faced off with Gregory Goetzman and Oliver Morlan in the Republican primary on Tuesday.

Goetzman previously unsuccessfully challenged Finstad in 2024, earning a measly 4.26% of the vote compared to the incumbent’s 90.9%. Morlan, who is involved in his family’s industrial cleaning business, ran in Tuesday’s race as the political outsider.

2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS

Incumbent Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn., faced challengers Gregory Goetzman and Oliver Morlan in the Republican primary.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)

Of Minnesota’s eight districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, the 1st District is one of the state’s four Republican-held House seats. It covers a large swath of southern Minnesota, including Rochester and much of the state’s farm country.

Finstad will advance to the November general election to face the winner of the Democratic primary between Alex Eaton, a math teacher and former teachers-union leader, and Jake Johnson, a small business owner. Eaton is considered more establishment while Johnson is considered to be the more progressive of the Democrat candidates.

The bipartisan Cook Political Report ranks the race as ‘lean Republican,’ a downgrade from the ‘solid Republican’ ranking in the last elections as Minnesota, especially in its city centers, increasingly embraces leftist ideals.

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A sign is seen outside a polling place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 3, 2020.(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Rep. Finstad has represented Minnesota in the House since winning a 2022 special election. It was held after Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who after years of therapy and surgery for a kidney cancer diagnosis in 2019 and after testing positive in January 2022 for COVID-19, died on February 17, 2022.

Before Hagedorn, the seat was represented by Democrat Tim Walz, who left Congress after being elected governor in 2018. He is still governor, after an unsuccessful run for vice president on the ticket with then-Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Walz announced on January 5, 2026 he would not seek reelection.

The district has leaned Republican in recent election cycles but has a history of electing candidates from both parties.(Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images)

Minnesota’s 1st congressional district has trended Republican in recent election cycles but has a history of electing candidates from both parties.

Agriculture, health care, manufacturing and the economy are expected to remain central issues as the race moves toward the November general election.

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The Republican and Democratic nominees will compete in November to determine who will represent southern Minnesota in the U.S. House.

Amanda Macias covers the intersection of business, economics and politics, with a focus on how policy decisions shape markets, businesses and American workers.

US bars federal funding of gender-affirming care for low-income minors

2026-08-12T00:02:54.076Z / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) – The Trump administration finalized a rule on Tuesday barring two major federal health programs from funding puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria ​in minors, reshaping access for low-income youth nationwide.

The rule, scheduled for publication on Thursday and effective in October, cuts off funding under Medicaid ‌and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which together cover 35.5 million U.S. children.

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Roughly a decade after U.S. specialty clinics began offering pediatric gender treatments, the government says it will no longer share the cost for children under 18 in Medicaid and under 19 in CHIP, citing what it called weak evidence of benefit and risks of irreversible harm.

The move marks one of ​the administration’s most sweeping restrictions yet on transgender healthcare. It forms part of a wider crackdown on the rights of transgender people through the elimination ​of legal protections in the military, healthcare, education and the workplace.

The rule does not ban the procedures but removes the federal ⁠support that makes them accessible to millions of low-income children, shifting the burden to states, families and private insurance.

“By cutting off federal funds for these sex-rejecting procedures, we’re ​following the science, saving taxpayer dollars, and, most importantly, protecting children from potentially irreversible harm so they can truly flourish,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. ​Mehmet Oz said in a statement.

The measure reflects a broader reassessment of pediatric gender medicine, even as major U.S. medical organizations back such care and warn against restricting it. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association say such decisions should rest with children, parents and healthcare professionals.

OPPONENTS CHALLENGE FUNDING CUT

CMS asserts that the 1965 Medicaid statute, which requires that care serve ​beneficiaries’ “best interests,” authorizes it to cut the funding, a novel use of the provision that opponents say exceeds its power.

Democratic state attorneys general sued in Oregon federal court ​over an earlier version, calling it an unlawful attempt to dictate medical standards and strip states of authority to regulate medicine. More than 90% of about 11,000 public comments opposed the ‌cut; the ⁠government finalized it anyway, largely as written.

The rule sets up a clash with the 14 states and the District of Columbia that have enacted “shield laws” protecting gender-related care, leaving them to drop coverage or pay themselves.

CMS projects the rule will cut combined Medicaid and CHIP spending by about $235 million over a decade, $138 million in federal funds and $97 million in state funds, reflecting what governments would save by dropping coverage. States that do not would have to absorb the full cost themselves.

U.S. health data analyzed for ​Reuters by Komodo Health shows more than ​121,000 children aged 6 to 17 ⁠were diagnosed with gender dysphoria between 2017 and 2021; and 17,683 started puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or both.

TRUMP TOUTS POLICY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

President Donald Trump claimed credit in a Truth Social post, saying he had directed Oz to end funding for what ​he called “barbaric surgeries and practices” on minors, and urging voters to “remember this” in November’s midterm elections.

Though Trump and Oz touted ​savings, the $138 million in ⁠federal savings within Medicaid and CHIP that CMS projects amounts to roughly 0.002% of total federal spending in the programs over a decade, and the agency says the rule is not meant “as a means of achieving budgetary savings.”

Transgender rights have become a contentious U.S. political issue, with several Republicans campaigning in 2024 on rolling back protections. The administration has moved ⁠to bar ​transgender people from the military, block them from listing their gender identity on passports, and restrict federal ​workers’ bathroom use.

Children now on hormone therapy through Medicaid or CHIP will get six months of continued coverage to taper off, a concession CMS added after warnings that abruptly halting treatment could cause harm.

The ​relief is narrow: it covers only hormones, not surgeries or puberty blockers, and only children already in treatment on the effective date.

Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Chris Reese

Lindsey Graham’s sister advances to runoff for US Senate seat in South Carolina

2026-08-12 00:34:41 UTC / Reuters

By Reuters

August 12, 2026 12:34 AM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), the sister of late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), is seen in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., July 29, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Aug 11 (Reuters) – Lindsey Graham’s sister Darline ​Graham advanced ‌to the runoff for the ​Republican U.S. ​Senate nomination in South ⁠Carolina, according ​to U.S. ​media projections on Tuesday.

Graham will ​be one ​of two candidates to ‌advance ⁠to the runoff in August, as no ​one ​is ⁠set to gain more ​than ​50 ⁠percent of the vote.

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Reporting by ⁠Costas ​Pitas; ​Editing by Michael Learmonth ​and Lincoln Feast

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Schumer dealt another blow as progressive insurgency scores win in key Senate battle

August 11, 2026 11:41pm EDT / Fox News

Tim Walz’s lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, won backing from Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar

By Alex Miller, Fox News

Democratic Senate hopeful pushes ‘ripping ICE apart’

Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan expressed support for ‘ripping ICE apart’ during a campaign rally.

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Progressives again scored a victory in Minnesota where Gov. Tim Walz’s second-in-command toppled an establishment-backed member of Congress.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan eked out a victory over Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., on Tuesday, marking yet another battle won in the progressive proxy war to reshape the Democratic Party during this midterm election cycle.

Flanagan, like other progressives in the hunt for a position of power in Congress, has honed her left-leaning bona fides by backing Medicare for all and pushing an end to military aid to Israel.

REPUBLICANS GET THE DEMOCRAT THEY WANTED AS SOCIALIST ABDUL EL-SAYED WINS MICHIGAN SENATE PRIMARY

Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor and Senate hopeful, faced backlash over her progressive activism and outreach amid the state’s sprawling fraud controversy.(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

She’s also vowed to go after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of two deadly immigration enforcement-related shootings in Minnesota and used Craig’s support of legislation, like the Laken Riley Act, as a political cudgel to build a distinction between the two of them.

Those positions have earned her the backing of progressive heavyweights like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and even Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., whose decision to retire from the Senate opened up the contest.

Notably, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who is running for governor, has not weighed in on the race so far.

Craig, who was viewed as the safer, more moderate pick, had the backing of the Democratic old-guard, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

BIG MONEY PROPELS DEM MEGACHURCH PASTOR TO VICTORY IN LONGSHOT KANSAS SENATE BID

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Republicans are licking their chops, too, at Schumer getting handed another loss.

“Morale among Chuck Schumer’s establishment is at an all-time low, and Bernie Sanders’ socialist flank is filling the gap with candidates like Peggy Flanagan and Abdul El-Sayed,” Bernadette Breslin, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital.

And it’s also brought reams of cash into the race. Craig has raised nearly $13 million this cycle, according to filings from the Federal Election Commission, while Flanagan has raked in just shy of $7 million.

“Peggy Flanagan is about bringing about real change, standing up to the big money interests,” Sanders told “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “There is a reason why the super PACs and the billionaires are flooding Minnesota with all kinds of money. Same thing as Michigan.”

Republicans see Flanagan’s candidacy in the same vein as Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who last week similarly squeaked out a narrow win over Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who, like Craig, has Schumer’s backing.

BOMB-THROWER DEM MAKES SHOCKING PROMISE TO KICK SCHUMER TO CURB DURING SENATE DEBATE

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., addresses media on Feb. 20, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn.(David Berding/Getty Images)

They also have built-in messaging against her: Flanagan was Walz’s right hand as the Minnesota fraud scandal rippled across the airwaves and nation. While the scandal killed his prospects of running for reelection as governor, it has so far not kneecapped Flanagan’s candidacy. And Walz hasn’t waded into the endorsement game in the Senate contest, either.

They’re confident that national Republicans’ candidate of choice, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, will win her primary and be the candidate to turn Minnesota red. There’s also the possibility that Flanagan, who has not raked in the same level of cash that Craig did, may become a resource drain for other key races on Democrats’ score card.

“Minnesota and Michigan being in play was not on Chuck Schumer’s bingo card this cycle,” a GOP operative told Fox News Digital. “It remains to be seen which battleground(s) Democrats will have to pull resources from to drag socialists like Peggy Flanagan and Abdul El-Sayed across the finish line in November.”

And Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., when asked by CNN which races kept him up at night, said one contest gave him hope.

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“The one thing that gets me excited when I think about this election cycle on the map is Minnesota,” said Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). “I think Minnesota, we have a real shot with Michele Tafoya.”

“What we know without question is, she is within a point of the lieutenant governor right now,” he said. “So if we can continue to let her show the contrast between the two candidates, I think Michele Tafoya’s the kind of Republican that can win.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

Dems eye pick-up in Wisconsin swing district as Rep Van Orden set for rematch in key House race

August 11, 2026 10:39pm EDT / Fox News

The former waitress and dairy farm native defeated Emily Berge to secure the nomination for a third-straight time

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Battleground Democrat opposed conversion therapy ban before reversing course

Democrat Rebecca Cooke said “no” when asked whether she would support a federal conversion therapy ban during a June candidate forum in Platteville, Wis. (Credit: CD Chair 3rd CD DPW via Youtube – June 19)

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A former waitress, small-business owner and nonprofit founder won the Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, setting her up for a rematch with Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden.

Rebecca Cooke, raised on an Eau Claire-area dairy farm, defeated former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge on Tuesday evening. The win puts Cooke back on the ballot in one of Democrats’ top House pickup opportunities this fall.

It will be Cooke’s third attempt to win the western Wisconsin seat. She lost the 2022 Democratic primary to then-state Sen. Brad Pfaff before securing the party’s nomination in 2024. Van Orden defeated her that November by roughly 11,000 votes, winning 51.4% of the vote to Cooke’s 48.6%.

WISCONSIN DEM TOUTS ENDORSEMENT FROM UNION PUSHING BACK AGAINST CDL CRACKDOWNS ON ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKERS

Rebecca Cooke, candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, speaks during a town hall hosted by Pete Buttigieg at the La Crosse Center on January 16, 2026 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.(Kayla Wolf/Getty Images)

Cooke has sought to make her working-class background central to her campaign. She grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire, has worked as a waitress since she was a teenager and founded the Red Letter Grant, a nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs. She also previously operated a small retail business and served on the board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. after being appointed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Her campaign has focused on affordability, health care and the economic challenges facing rural communities, while portraying Cooke as a pragmatic Democrat able to appeal across party lines in a district that includes Eau Claire, La Crosse and much of western Wisconsin.

Cooke entered the primary as the better-funded candidate and with national support from Democrats.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Cooke to its “Red to Blue” program, which directs party resources toward candidates viewed as viable in competitive districts.

Berge, a mental health counselor and former Eau Claire City Council president, ran as a local alternative to Cooke, arguing voters should have a choice rather than see the nomination effectively decided by national party backing and fundraising. Her strongest base of support was expected to be in and around Eau Claire.

IOWA DEM ADMITS BEING ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ WITH WHITENESS AS SHE SEEKS TO FLIP COMPETITIVE HOUSE SEAT

Rep. Derrick Van Orden speaks before Vice President JD Vance at Pointe Precision in Plover, Wis., on Feb. 26, 2026.(Getty Images)

The general election is likely to renew scrutiny of Cooke’s personal finances and past political work. Van Orden’s campaign has pressed her to release a financial disclosure that was extended until Aug. 13, two days after the primary. The campaign has argued that earlier disclosures showing income from political consulting and rental properties undercut Cooke’s working-class image.

Republicans have also sought to cast Cooke as a Democratic political insider, pointing to her work on Democratic campaigns and fundraising. Cooke has presented that experience as part of a broader record that includes operating a business, leading a nonprofit and working in the hospitality industry.

MADISON, WI – NOVEMBER 03: Poll worker Rebecca Brandt, center, feeds a voting tabulation machine with absentee ballots in the gym at Sun Prairie High School on November 3, 2020 in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The entire gym was dedicated to counting the absentee ballots. After a record-breaking early voting turnout, Americans head to the polls on the last day to cast their vote for incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump or Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. (Photo by Andy Manis/Getty Images)

Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL who was first elected in 2022, is seeking a third term.

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The 3rd district in Wisconsin, a swing state, has leaned Republican in recent presidential elections, but Cooke’s narrow 2024 loss and substantial fundraising have made the race a closely watched contest as Democrats seek to win back the House in November.

The bipartisan Cook Political Report moved the race from “lean Republican” in the last election cycle to “toss up.”