Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) put a target on his back when he launched into a furious and foul-mouthed attack on a group of teenage Senate pages who were taking pictures in the Capitol Rotunda, according to a report.
The freshman was accused of screaming that they were "lazy s--ts" and told them to "get the f--k up." Prior to the incident, he was reportedly heard "partying loudly" in his congressional office.
Now, Democrats in Wisconsin are planning to use it against him in what is expected to be a competitive election next year, reported The Daily Beast.
"Rebecca Cooke — a local business owner who ran in the Democratic primary last cycle — launched her campaign just three weeks ago. Cooke also has concerns about Van Orden’s temperament for the district. She says the latest incident only exacerbates them," reported Ursula Perano.
"'He’s very much not an adult in the room at all and people are really upset. And I think this continues to be something that pushes people more and more away from him,' Cooke told The Daily Beast in an interview Monday."
Per the report, Cooke has fundraised $40,000 since the incident, with 700 of the donors being first-timers — and a handful of other local Democrats have been floated as possible challengers as well.
Van Orden has been mired in controversy even before this. He was at the January 6 rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol, using campaign money to get there. A report suggested he was in a restricted area during the riot, but he has denied this.
Van Orden won his western Wisconsin seat narrowly in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired amid questions about a massage business he rented office space to. The area has swung toward Republicans in recent elections.
Democrats are hoping to overturn Republican-gerrymandered congressional districts in Wisconsin using their newly elected state Supreme Court majority, which would potentially put Van Orden in a bluer seat; however, it is unclear whether such a case would be heard in time for maps to be changed in the 2024 election.
