Harvard student joins race to take on Derrick Van Orden

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLCX) – A new candidate running to represent western Wisconsin in Congress has one problem – he doesn’t live in the district yet. Aaron Nytes has announced that he is joining the race to take on Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District.

Nytes is a Milwaukee native, and is currently attending Harvard Law School. He says that he plans on moving to La Crosse when he graduates in the spring. He is running as a Democrat.

The Third Congressional District represents the cities of La Crosse, Eau Claire, and Stevens Point. Van Orden was serving his first term representing the district, after winning the election last year. 

Nytes says that some of the biggest issues his campaign will focus on are protecting local farms, protecting labor rights, and advocating for clean energy.

I’ve waited my whole life for this moment and I’m so incredibly excited to announce that I am running to represent the 3rd District of Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives. The world needs changing—I hope that you will consider joining the movement! pic.twitter.com/fwF6cFccVm

— Nytes for Congress (@nytes4congress) August 9, 2023

A representative for the Nytes campaign tells Civic Media that the district is a microcosm of everyone who needs a stronger voice in Washington: from local farmers to students to workers. The campaign representative also said that Van Orden is uniquely unqualified to represent the district, and called him a stain on Wisconsin’s reputation.

The 25-year-old is the second Democrat to join the race to represent western Wisconsin. Rebecca Cooke was the first to announce her candidacy last month. An Eau Claire native, Cooke was appointed by Governor Evers to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and says that if elected, she would focus her efforts on healthcare reform.

Van Orden has not yet announced if he plans to run for reelection next year.