Derrick Van Orden
StateWisconsin
Term startJanuary 3, 2023
PredecessorRon Kind
Birth nameDerrick Francis Van Orden
Birth dateSeptember 15, 1969 (age 57)
Birth placeHennepin, Minnesota, U.S.
SpouseSara Jane Whitelock
PartyRepublican
EducationExcelsior University (BS)
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website
AllegianceUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
Service years1988–2014
RankSenior Chief Petty Officer
UnitUnited States Navy SEALs

Derrick Francis Van Orden (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician, actor, and retired United States Navy SEAL who is the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district, since 2023.[1] He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education, and military service

Van Orden was born in Minnesota on September 15, 1969.[2][3] He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior University.[4]

He served for 26 years, retiring as a Senior Chief in 2014.[5][6]

Post-military career

Van Orden played the role of Senior Chief Otto Miller in the 2012 film Act of Valor. He also had roles in the 2018 film Surviving the Wild[7] and Running with the Devil (2019).[8]

From 2017 to early 2019, Van Orden and his wife operated the Butternut Café[9] in the Village of Butternut in northern Wisconsin.

Van Orden attended the January 6 "Stop the Steal" rally[10] and was present at the United States Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[11][12]

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.[13] 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".[14] 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".[13]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2020

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin#District 3

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.[15]

President Donald Trump endorsed Van Orden's 2020 campaign.[16]

2022

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin#District 3

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.[17][18] Former President Donald Trump endorsed Van Orden's 2022 campaign.[16]

Van Orden defeated Democratic state senator Brad Pfaff in the general election.[17]

2024

Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin#District 3

Van Orden was re-elected to a second term, garnering 51.4% of the vote and defeating Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke.[19]

Tenure

Van Orden serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.[20]

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).[21][22] Van Orden allegedly swore at the pages and told them to get off the floor.[22][23] 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."[22]

Van Orden had an outburst during a White House briefing on the Gaza war.[24]

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.[25]

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.[26] 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.[27]

Following the shootings of Minnesota legislators in June, 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."[28][29]

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.[30]

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.[31]

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[32] Co-Chair

Personal life

Van Orden and his wife, Sara Jane, live in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.[33] They have four children and eleven grandchildren.[33] He is a Protestant.[34][35] In August 2023, Van Orden's oldest daughter, Sydney Marie Martenis, died of cancer.[36][37]

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.[38][39]

Electoral history

U.S. House of Representatives (2020–present)

YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality
2020Primary[40]Aug. 11Derrick Van OrdenRepublican36,39565.87%Jessi EbbenRep.18,83534.09%55,25117,560
General[41]Nov. 3Ron Kind (inc)Democratic199,87051.30%Derrick Van OrdenRep.189,52448.64%389,61810,346
2022General[42]Nov. 8Derrick Van OrdenRepublican164,74351.82%Brad PfaffDem.152,97748.12%317,92211,766
2024General[43]Nov. 5Derrick Van Orden (inc)Republican212,06451.32%Rebecca CookeDem.200,80848.60%413,18111,256

Publications

Books

  • A Book of Man: A Navy SEAL's Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood, 2015. (ISBN 9780692427378).[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ no2016147235.
  2. ^
  3. ^ "Rep. Derrick Van Orden - R Wisconsin, 3rd, In Office - Biography | LegiStorm". legistorm.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  4. ^ "Derrick Van Orden". The Hill. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Derrick Van Orden". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  6. ^ Kirwan, Hope (25 October 2022). "The 3rd Congressional District was Democratic for 26 years. Now it's a top GOP target.". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Derrick Van Orden | Actor, Additional Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  8. ^ "Running with the Devil | Cast". IMDb. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  9. ^ Carlson, Seth (June 28, 2017). "Retired Navy SEAL opens Butternut Cafe in downtown Butternut". Rice County Review. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "In Wisconsin, voters shrug off GOP candidate's Jan. 6 tie". Associated Press. 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  11. ^ Solender, Andrew (August 10, 2022). "Jan. 6-linked Derrick Van Orden wins Wisconsin GOP primary for House seat". Axios. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  12. ^ Van Orden, Derrick (January 13, 2021). "Derrick Van Orden: We need Abraham Lincoln now more than ever". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "Congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden confronted teen library staffer over Gay Pride display". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Associated Press. 24 August 2021. Archived August 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  14. ^ Herken, Olivia (22 August 2021). "Library staff felt 'threatened' after GOP candidate complained about Pride Month display". La Crosse Tribune. Archived August 25, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Van Orden receives Trump endorsement for Wisconsin race". Associated Press. 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Edmondson, Catie (2022-11-09). "Van Orden, Republican Who Attended Jan. 6 Rally, Wins Wisconsin House Seat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  19. ^ "Wisconsin Third Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  20. ^ "Committees and Caucuses | Representative Derrick Van Orden". vanorden.house.gov. 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  21. ^ Stieb, Matt (2023-07-28). "GOP Congressman Defends Cursing Out No-Good Teens at Capitol". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  22. ^ "GOP lawmaker 'screamed' curse words inches from Senate pages' faces and 'shooed' them, source says". NBC News. 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
  23. ^ "Derrick Van Orden took a bow after cursing at teenage Senate pages in the Capitol, Rep. Mark Pocan says". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  24. ^ Wu, Nicholas & Ferris, Sarah (2023-10-11). "Democrats furious over Van Orden outburst during White House briefing on Israel terrorist attack". Politico. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  25. ^ Lawrence Andrea. "Derrick Van Orden shouts 'lies!' at Biden during State of the Union". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Republican lawmaker seeks US judge's impeachment over ruling against Trump". Reuters. 2025.
  27. ^ Haberman, Maggie; Schleifer, Theodore; Karni, Annie (2025-03-19). "Musk Donates to G.O.P. Members of Congress Who Support Impeaching Judges". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ Ferguson, Malcolm (July 3, 2025). "MAGA Rep Literally Cheers for Budget Taking Away Free School Lunch". The New Republic. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ "Congressional Motorcycle Caucus Continues to Take Shape". American Motorcyclist Association. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  33. ^ "About Derrick Van Orden". vanorden.house.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  34. ^ "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress". Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  35. ^ "Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 118th Congress". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  36. ^ Nerozzi, Timothy (2023-08-22). "Republican congressman reveals death of oldest daughter — and the tragic cause: 'We are heartbroken'". Fox News. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  37. ^ "In Memory of Sydney Marie Martenis". Eline Funeral Home. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  38. ^ 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 27 December 2022.
  39. ^ Herken, Olivia (May 9, 2022). "GOP congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden fined for having loaded gun in Iowa airport". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  40. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 Partisan Primary - 8/11/2020. Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2020. p. 2. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  41. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 2. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  42. ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 3. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  43. ^ "County by County Report 2024 General Election". Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. Archived February 4, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  44. ^ Orden, Derrick F. Van & Mitchell, Adam (2015-01-01). 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.

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