Derrick Van Orden
RepublicanU.S. Representative, WI-3| Age | 56 (b. 1969-09-15) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2023-01-03 (~3 yrs) |
| Religion | Christian (Protestant); attends Bible Baptist Church, Prairie du Chien, WI |
| Education | Bachelor of Science from Excelsior University (formerly Excelsior College) |
| Prior occupation | Retired U.S. Navy SEAL; actor (e.g., Act of Valor, 2012); restaurateur (owned The Butternut Cafe); author |
| Military service | Yes: United States Navy (Navy SEALs) (Senior Chief Petty Officer) |
| Birthplace | Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| Marital status | Married — Sara Jane (Whitelock) Van Orden |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2022 |
| Committees | Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Chairman, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity) · Committee on Agriculture · Committee on Armed Services |
| Caucuses | Congressional Border Security Caucus · Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus · Congressional Biofuels Caucus · Congressional Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus · Congressional Motorcycle Caucus (Co-Chair) |
| Leadership | Chairman, House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity |
| Ideology | Heritage Action scorecard 62% (118th Congress); rated conservative. GovTrack placed him in the moderate-conservative range of House Republicans. |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2022) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Richard E. Uihlein (CEO, ULINE Inc.) ($6,600) · John R. Anderson (Anderson Enterprises LLC) ($6,600) · Edward C. Levy (EDW C Levy Co.) ($6,600) · Kurt Croell (Croell Inc.) ($6,000)
Top industries: Agribusiness / agricultural PACs · Republican/conservative leadership PACs
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved - guilty plea — Cited and pleaded guilty for loaded handgun in carry-on bag at airport security
On August 27, 2021, while a candidate for Congress, Van Orden was cited at the Eastern Iowa Airport (Cedar Rapids) after a loaded 9mm handgun was found in his carry-on bag at the TSA security checkpoint. He pleaded guilty in December 2021, paid two fines (a court civil penalty reported as $300 and a separate TSA penalty), completed a firearms safety course, and was placed on unsupervised probation through December 27, 2022. He described the incident as accidental, saying he forgot the gun was in his bag.
concluded — Guilty Plea — Carrying Loaded Firearm into Cedar Rapids Airport
On August 27, 2021, Van Orden was stopped at the security checkpoint at Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport (Eastern Iowa Airport) with a loaded 9 mm handgun in his carry-on bag. He was cited and later pleaded guilty before a magistrate in December 2021. He received a $360 court fine, was ordered to complete a firearm safety course, and was placed on unsupervised probation through December 27, 2022. The TSA imposed an additional civil penalty of undisclosed amount. Van Orden called the incident a mistake and said he fully cooperated.