Rebecca Cooke is a Paid Political Operative… Still
New reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel highlights that Rebecca Cooke was paid thousands for political consulting work in 2025 by a Democrat group led by a member of the liberal billionaire Pritzker family.
The article notes that despite her fake waitress act, Cooke has a rich history of working as a political operative. Cooke was “paid more than $190,000 by a dozen committees and campaigns” and previously “served on the steering committee for Opportunity Wisconsin,” which has direct ties to George Soros.
“Rebecca Cooke is a lying, paid political operative that is completely out of touch with hardworking Wisconsinites. Voters in western Wisconsin have rejected Commie Cooke’s radical policies and fake waitress act twice before and will reject her once again this fall.” – NRCC Spokesman Zach Bannon
Read more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel here or see excerpts below:
GOP, Dem challenger hit Rebecca Cooke for outside political work
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Laura Schulte
April 16, 2026
Rebecca Cooke, the front-runner Democrat to challenge Republican Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s battleground 3rd Congressional District, frequently portrays herself as an ordinary voter who grew up on a dairy farm and works tables as a waitress.
Republicans, as well as her Democratic primary opponent, call that image-building disingenuous, calling out her recent paid political work for Democratic organizations, most recently a think tank dedicated to center-left ideas.
[…]
Cooke spent about half of 2025 working with Third Way, leading conversations with leaders and workers across the district. Third Way is a center-left think tank and advocacy organization that “champions moderate policy and political ideas,” according to the group’s website. Cooke appears on the website as a fellow.
Cooke was paid about $30,000 for her work by the organization, which consisted mainly of talking to rural working-class voters about issues impacting them. She used the conversations to compile reports for Third Way.
[…]
Cooke’s work with Third Way comes after earlier outside political work
In addition, in the years leading up to her first campaign in 2021, Cooke worked as a professional fundraiser for candidates across the country.
As far back as 2012, Cooke served as finance director for four congressional races in Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado and California, raising $3.7 million in one of those contests alone.
[…]
In 2015, she registered Cooke Strategy LLC, a Democratic political and fundraising consulting firm. FEC records show the firm advised eight state and federal campaigns between 2015 and 2021.
Overall, she and her firm were paid more than $190,000 by a dozen committees and campaigns.
In addition, Cooke served on the steering committee for Opportunity Wisconsin, a liberal nonprofit active in congressional races.