by The Badger Project
July 31, 2024
Donations from big agribusinesses and right-wing billionaire megadonor Richard Uihlein make up much of the congressman’s early financial support.
After running behind President Donald Trump’s vote totals in his 3rd Congressional District in western Wisconsin, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien) is a big target of Democrats looking to win back the majority in the U.S. House.
In 2020, Trump won the current configuration of the 3rd Congressional District by 4.7 points. Van Orden won the seat in 2022 by 2.7 points, 51.8% to 48.1%.
With nearly $2.4 million in the bank heading into the final months of the campaign, Van Orden holds a major fundraising lead over his three Democratic challengers. That could change once the party chooses its candidate in the Aug. 13 primary.
The congressman has strong financial support from many agribusinesses. Along with Transportation & Infrastructure and Veterans Affairs, Van Orden also sits on the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House, where policy and bills are shaped before going to the full body for a vote.
Donations to candidates for federal offices from individuals are capped at $3,300 per election, so a person can give a candidate for Congress a max of $6,600 per election cycle, as it includes both a primary and a general. Political Action Committees that give to multiple candidates can donate up to $5,000 per election, for a total of $10,000 per election cycle.
Important note: the PACs of businesses, such as Home Depot, cannot take money from their own coffers. They must raise the money, which usually comes from their executives and other employees.
The top donors to Van Orden’s campaign in the first half of 2024
| CONTRIBUTOR | NOTES | AMOUNT |
| American Revival PAC | $10,000 | |
| Eye of the Tiger PAC | $10,000 | |
| First In Freedom PAC | $10,000 | |
| Majority Cmte PAC | $10,000 | |
| On Wisconsin PAC | $10,000 | |
| Supporting Electing American Leaders PAC | $10,000 | |
| Farmers’ Rice Cooperative PAC | $9,500 | |
| American Optometric Association PAC | $8,000 | |
| American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology PAC | $7,500 | |
| American Crystal Sugar PAC | “a grower-owned cooperative in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota” | $7,500 |
| CHS Inc PAC | “a diversified global agribusiness cooperative owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States” | $7,500 |
| Eureka PAC | $7,500 | |
| National Cattlemen’s Beef Association PAC | $7,500 | |
| In the Arena PAC | $7,000 | |
| ANDERSON, JOHN R MR ROCKFORD, 61107 | owner, ANDERSON ENTERPRISES, LLC | $6,600 |
| LEVY, EDWARD C BIRMINGHAM, 48009 | chairman, EDW C LEVY CO | $6,600 |
| UIHLEIN, RICHARD E MR LAKE BLUFF, 60044 | CEO, ULINE INC. | $6,600 |
| CROELL, KURT LAWLER, 52154 | president, CROELL | $6,000 |
| Farm Credit Council PAC | $6,000 | |
| TTM Technologies PAC | “a leading global RF and specialty components, advanced technology, and PCB fabrication solutions supplier” | $6,000 |
| Home Depot PAC | $5,518 | |
| MARQUIS, THOMAS PRINCETON, 61356 | VP Director of Marketing, MARQUIS MANAGEMENT INC. | $5,600 |
| MARQUIS, BENJAMIN L CHILLICOTHE, 61523 | DIRECTOR OF IT & MULTI MEDIA, MARQUIS MANAGEMENT INC. | $5,600 |
| MARQUIS, ALEXANDER DUNLAP, 61525 | LOGISTICS MANAGER, MARQUIS MANAGEMENT INC. | $5,600 |
| MARQUIS, JASON PRINCETON, 61356 | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MARQUIS MANAGEMENT INC. | $5,600 |
| BERNICK, CAROL L NAPLES, 34108 | CEO, POLISHED NICKEL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT | $5,000 |
| ANDERSON, LINDA ROCKFORD, 61107 | Homemaker | $3,400 |
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This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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