In Wisconsins hottest House race, Democratic challenger claims shes an immigration moderate but her record says otherwise

WATERTOWN, Wis.— In Wisconsin’s most competitive House race, Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke is positioning herself as a moderate on a top issue for Republican voters, immigration — despite having criticized her opponent for running a campaign on securing the border.

The Trump-endorsed incumbent, Rep.Derrick Van Orden, has been an outspoken opponent of the Biden administration’s border policies. Although Cook Political Report rates the race lean Republican, Democrats view Cooke’s candidacy as a possible pick-up opportunity this November since she defeated a sitting state legislator who was closely aligned with party leaders in Wisconsin’s August primary.

Rep.Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), a former Navy SEAL, flipped western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District red by 3.7 percentage points after long-time moderate Democrat Ron Kind retired.

Cooke, a political strategist and part-time waitress, has focused on her platform on healthcare, unions, abortion and rural issues in her campaign. Van Orden has been crystal clear with his positions on illegal migration and border security.He’s visited the border to highlight the issues there, and cast a national spotlight on migrant crime after a suspected Tren de Aragua member carried out an alleged assault on a mother and daughter in his hometown of Praire du Chien.

His Democratic opponent’s position on these issues are more difficult to nail down. Cooke’s website does not mention immigration in her list of priorities.Yet, in a recent ad, her talking points are carefully calibrated to appeal to voters who are “somewhere in the middle.” That’s how Cooke defines herself in the ad, as she stands, quite literally, in the middle of the road on her family’s farm, firing off promises of a Goldilocks policy platform.

“I’ll stand up to Democrats to fight for a secure border, and stop wasteful spending,” she says, before vowing to also stand up to “extremists like Derrick Van Orden.” In ...