Derrick Van Orden Bio
Derrick Francis Van Orden (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician, actor, and retired United States Navy SEAL serving as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he previously spent 26 years in the United States Navy, retiring in 2014 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer after five combat deployments. He is also a former film actor and the owner-operator of a small Wisconsin café before entering electoral politics.
Early Life and Background
Derrick Francis Van Orden was born in Hennepin, Minnesota, on September 15, 1969. He grew up in the United States and later completed higher education through Excelsior University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. His academic path coincided with the start of a long military career that would shape his public service identity.
Van Orden joined the United States Navy in 1988, when he was 18 years old. In 1992, he was selected for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, known as BUD/S, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California. After months of demanding instruction, he graduated with BUD/S Class 184 in October 1992 and was assigned to SEAL Team FOUR at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Virginia. Following advanced SEAL training and a six-month probationary period, he earned the Navy Enlisted Classification 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer (SEAL) and was authorized to wear the Special Warfare insignia.
Path to US Politics
Van Orden served on active duty for 26 years, retiring in 2014 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer after completing five combat deployments. After leaving the Navy, he moved into civilian life, appearing in films including Act of Valor (2012), Surviving the Wild (2018), and Running with the Devil (2019), in which he played Senior Chief Otto Miller in the 2012 feature. From 2017 to early 2019, he and his wife operated the Butternut Café in the Village of Butternut in northern Wisconsin, an experience that connected him to small-town communities in the region.
His entry into electoral politics came in 2020, when he became the Republican nominee for Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district and lost to longtime Democratic incumbent Ron Kind by about three percentage points. President Donald Trump endorsed his 2020 campaign, and Van Orden returned as the Republican nominee in 2022 after Kind retired, this time winning the seat.
Derrick Van Orden Career
Early Career (1988–2014)
Van Orden’s professional life began with his enlistment in the United States Navy in 1988. Over the following 26 years, he advanced through the enlisted ranks, completed the rigorous BUD/S pipeline, and served with SEAL Team FOUR. His career included five combat deployments that took him to multiple overseas theaters, and he retired in 2014 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, one of the highest enlisted ranks in the Navy’s special operations community.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Van Orden’s first run for federal office came in 2020, when he sought Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district seat and narrowly lost to Democratic incumbent Ron Kind. He returned to the race in 2022, with the seat open after Kind’s retirement. His 2022 campaign emphasized his military service and the economy, and he again received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. He defeated Democratic state senator Brad Pfaff in the general election, flipping the seat for the Republican Party and taking office in January 2023.
Since taking office, Van Orden has served on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. His committee work has reflected the issues he highlighted in his campaigns: rural and agricultural policy, defense and military readiness, and care for veterans.
Second Term and Current Role (2024–Present)
Van Orden was re-elected to a second term in 2024, winning 51.4 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke. In the 119th Congress, he has continued his committee assignments and has been an active voice on legislation affecting his district and the country. He voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a major fiscal package passed during the current session, and later defended the vote publicly. In February 2025, he filed a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer after the judge blocked access to sensitive Treasury Department payment systems.
Notable Events and Milestones
Van Orden’s tenure in Congress has included several high-profile moments, including a confrontation with Senate pages during a Capitol tour in July 2023 that drew bipartisan criticism, and an outburst during a White House briefing on the Gaza war. During President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address, he shouted “lies” after Biden criticized Donald Trump over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in his public life, in August 2021, he was cited at the Eastern Iowa Airport for having a loaded handgun in his bag at the security checkpoint; he called the incident a mistake, paid a fine, completed a gun safety program, and served one year of probation.
Derrick Van Orden Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Van Orden and his wife, Sara Jane Whitelock, live in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The couple has four children and eleven grandchildren. In August 2023, his oldest daughter, Sydney Marie Martenis, died of cancer. Van Orden is a Protestant, and his family life has remained rooted in the small communities of southwestern Wisconsin.
Derrick Van Orden Career Wins
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
Van Orden first won federal office in 2022, defeating Democratic state senator Brad Pfaff to represent Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district. He won re-election in 2024 with 51.4 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Rebecca Cooke. His two general-election victories are the defining electoral results of his political career, both secured with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Other Achievements
Outside of electoral politics, Van Orden’s most notable achievement is his 26-year U.S. Navy career, which included five combat deployments and selection to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer, one of the highest enlisted pay grades in the Navy. He is also a college graduate, holding a Bachelor of Science degree from Excelsior University.