Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Derrick Van Orden Thursday in the race for congress in Wisconsin’s third congressional district. Van Orden will be seeking the seat held by Democrat Rep. Ron Kind, who announced earlier this week he will not be running for reelection.
"Derrick is a former Navy SEAL Senior Chief who bravely served and defended our Country. He strongly supports our military, veterans, law enforcement, and he will always fight for secure borders, the Second Amendment, and our incredible farmers," Trump said in a statement. "Derrick has my complete and total endorsement!"
According to The Hill, Van Orden lost to Kind by roughly 10,000 votes in 2020. Kind was one of only seven House Democrats representing a district that was carried by former President Trump to win during the 2020 election. Kind, who has served in Washington D.C., for the last 24 years, announced Tuesday he is retiring.
Kind’s retirement is a major issue for Democrats, who will seek to maintain their narrow House majority in the 2022 mid-term elections. Kind’s announcement follows similar retirement announcements from other Democrat representatives including Reps. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona, and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania.
House Republicans had already said they would target Wisconsin’s 3rd district aggressively in 2022, even before Kind’s retirement.
Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL Senior Chief with 26 years of service and five combat deployments, responded to Trump’s endorsement this morning via his Facebook page. "President Trump inspired millions of Americans by reminding us that this is the greatest nation on earth and worth serving. He carried the 3rd District in 2016 and by an even higher margin in 2020. I am incredibly proud to receive his endorsement for my congressional run."
To date, no potential Democrat challengers have stepped forward to run for Kind’s seat according to CNN.
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