Election 2026

Independent, source-first accountability

TheStatedRecordFind a race
Back to the race record

Issue record

Costs and the rural economy

In short

Van Orden's campaign backs the Working Family Tax Cuts. Cooke's backs a $15 minimum wage and rural housing grants; Kent's lists no economic position, while Provance's would end the Federal Reserve. Van Orden voted for the housing law enacted in 2026 and the broader 2025 law creating Workforce Pell Grants. Those votes do not establish housing-cost effects or his individual contribution. State records confirm Cooke's economic-development board appointment history, without showing its results.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Derrick Van Orden

Says four years of the previous administration strained Wisconsin family finances, and champions what he calls the Working Family Tax Cuts to keep more earnings with the earner.

Rebecca Cooke

Would raise the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars on a rolling schedule starting with large employers, expand community block grants for rural affordable housing, defer property tax for first-time buyers up to five years, and fund child care incubators in small towns.

Alexander Valiensi Kent

No economic position is stated. His platform is the process by which policy is decided rather than an outcome on any given issue.

Rustin Provance

Would end the Federal Reserve and its fiat currency to bring down inflation and what he calls over-taxation, and states of tax generally: “It’s your money, you should keep it.”

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. official action

    Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated record claim

    He voted yes in February and on the final House vote in June 2026; it became Public Law 119-101.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    At the October 20 Eau Claire Area Chamber forum, Van Orden said Congress had just passed a 2026 housing act he called the Road to Homeownership 2026 Act, and later the Road to Housing Act of 2026, which he said cuts regulations to lower the cost of building a home. The law is the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, H.R. 6644. He voted Yea when the House first passed it on February 9, 2026, 390-9 (Roll Call 57), and Yea on the final House vote on June 23, 2026, 358-32 (Roll Call 224), which sent it to the President. It became Public Law 119-101. Limit: He named it differently; the law's own short title is the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. He was one of 358 members voting for the final version. His description of what it does, including cost figures for building a house, was not checked.

  2. official action

    Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated direction

    He voted for the 2025 tax and spending law that created them, at both House votes; the votes were on the whole bill.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    At the October 20 Eau Claire Area Chamber forum, Van Orden said that he and others worked hard to get Workforce Pell Grants through, so that people who want to work with their hands can. Workforce Pell Grants are section 83002 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R. 1, which became Public Law 119-21. He voted Yea on House passage on May 22, 2025, 215-214 (Roll Call 145), and Aye on the final House vote on July 3, 2025, 218-214 (Roll Call 190). Limit: His votes are on the whole bill, not on the Pell section alone. How hard he worked on it is not something the record shows.

  3. official action

    Rebecca Cooke: Matches stated record claim

    State records show she was appointed in 2019, recommended for confirmation in 2020 and withdrawn in 2021; what she did on the board is not recorded, and the nonprofit figure is not checked.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    Her campaign says she started a nonprofit that has helped over 70 small businesses create local jobs, and that she served on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation board, aiding in the success of rural businesses. The Wisconsin State Legislature records the appointment: Rebecca Cooke, of Eau Claire, Private Sector Representative on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, read and referred on February 8, 2019. The committee recommended confirmation on February 20, 2020 by Ayes 5, Noes 0. The Governor withdrew the appointment on October 13, 2021. Limit: The state's record establishes that she held the seat and for how long. It records nothing about what she did in it, so the second half of her sentence — aiding the success of rural businesses — is not something this record can test either way. The nonprofit figure is separate and is not checked here.

See something wrong or incomplete? Report it for review.

Sources15 source records

How we use sources

  1. Van Orden for Congress, issueshttps://vanordenforcongress.com/issues/

    Van Orden for Congress · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-22; 1,074 words. The campaign's own site, identified by its "Paid for by Van Orden for Congress" line. Note that derrickvanorden.com is a registrar parking page and is not this site.

    candidate statement

    For: Derrick Van Orden: campaign position

  2. Cooke for Wisconsin, prioritieshttps://cookeforwisconsin.com/priorities/

    Cooke for Congress · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-22; 2,429 words across ten subject headings, the most detailed platform on any desk so far.

    candidate statement

    For: Rebecca Cooke: campaign position

  3. 2026 Candidate for the U.S. House, Alexander Valiensi Kenthttps://www.voterdirectednetwork.com/alexanderkent

    Voter Directed Network · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-22; 7,855 words. His own platform, in the form of a keynote address. Note that kentforcongress.com is a registrar parking page belonging to someone else and is not his site.

    candidate statement

    For: Alexander Valiensi Kent: campaign position

  4. Voter Directed Network, homehttps://www.voterdirectednetwork.com/

    Voter Directed Network · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-22; 1,499 words. The organisation he founded, which is also the vehicle his platform proposes.

    candidate statement

    For: Alexander Valiensi Kent: campaign position

  5. Rustin Provance for Congress, projectshttps://rustinforcongress.wixsite.com/website/projects-1

    Rustin Provance for Congress · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-22. His platform: policing, Social Security, the Federal Reserve, health care, nuclear testing, the Department of Education, term limits, taxation, the military, veterans and relations with native nations. The page is at /projects-1; /projects returns 404.

    candidate statement

    For: Rustin Provance: campaign position

  6. Eau Claire Area Chamber forum, October 20: Van Orden on the housing acthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sCa_4llPFE&t=1432s

    WEAU · Published Oct 20, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    23:52, and again at 32:11. Paraphrased from YouTube's captions of the station's video; no second transcript was found to confirm the exact words.

    candidate statement

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated record claim

  7. Roll Call 57, H.R. 6644, on passage as amendedhttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202657

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published Feb 9, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    Motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, February 9, 2026 (390 to 9), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID V000135: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated record claim

  8. Roll Call 224, H.R. 6644, final House votehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026224

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published Jun 23, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    Motion to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment, June 23, 2026 (358 to 32), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID V000135: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated record claim

  9. H.R. 6644, 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (119th Congress)https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6644

    Congress.gov · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    Read through the Congress.gov API and the GovInfo enrolled text on 2026-10-22. Sponsored by Rep. French Hill. Section 1: "This Act may be cited as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act". Became Public Law 119-101.

    official legislative record

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated record claim

  10. Eau Claire Area Chamber forum, October 20: Van Orden on Workforce Pell Grantshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sCa_4llPFE&t=1225s

    WEAU · Published Oct 20, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    20:25. Paraphrased from YouTube's captions of the station's video; no second transcript was found to confirm the exact words.

    candidate statement

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated direction

  11. Roll Call 145, H.R. 1, on passagehttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025145

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published May 22, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    Recorded vote of May 22, 2025 (215 to 214), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID V000135: Yea.

    official legislative record

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated direction

  12. Roll Call 190, H.R. 1, on concurring in the Senate amendmenthttps://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025190

    Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · Published Jul 3, 2025 · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    Recorded vote of July 3, 2025 (218 to 214), read from the Clerk's roll-call XML by member ID V000135: Aye. This vote sent the bill to the President.

    official legislative record

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated direction

  13. Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act)https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-119publ21

    U.S. Government Publishing Office · Reviewed Oct 22, 2026

    Read from the GovInfo package text on 2026-10-22. Contains "SEC. 70106. EXTENSION AND ENHANCEMENT OF INCREASED ESTATE AND GIFT TAX EXEMPTION AMOUNTS" and "SEC. 83002. WORKFORCE PELL GRANTS".

    official legislative record

    For: Derrick Van Orden: Matches stated direction

  14. Cooke for Wisconsin, homehttps://cookeforwisconsin.com/

    Cooke for Congress · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-22, identified by its "Paid for by Cooke for Congress" line. Carries her biography and links her X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts. Note that rebeccacooke.org is a registrar parking page and is not this site.

    candidate statement

    For: Rebecca Cooke: Matches stated record claim

  15. Executive appointment: Cooke, Rebeccahttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/appointments/inactive/executive_appointment/14848

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 22, 2026

    The state's own record of the appointment: Rebecca Cooke, of Eau Claire, Private Sector Representative on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, read and referred February 8, 2019; committee recommended confirmation February 20, 2020 by Ayes 5, Noes 0; withdrawn by the Governor October 13, 2021.

    official office record

    For: Rebecca Cooke: Matches stated record claim