MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State Rep. Katrina Shankland, a Democrat from central Wisconsin, announced on Tuesday that she will be running for U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s seat in the next election year.
Shankland joins a crowded field of Democratic challengers in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, including former La Crosse County Board Chair Tara Johnson, small-business owner Rebecca Cooke, and Harvard Law School student Aaron Nytes.
Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, narrowly defeated Democratic state Sen. Brad Pfaff last year to claim the seat for the GOP. Pfaff has decided not to challenge Van Orden in 2024.
Van Orden faced criticism in July for yelling vulgarities at high school-aged U.S. Senate pages who were taking pictures in the Capitol Rotunda. He was also present outside the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 insurrection before being elected to Congress.
Van Orden’s campaign has yet to respond to Shankland’s candidacy.
