Congressman Mark Pocan holds the distinction of being the only openly LGBTQ Member to ever TWICE succeed an LGBTQ Member in Congress (he won Tammy Baldwin’s House seat when she left to successfully run for the Senate in 2012 and her won Wisconsin House seat when he left to successfully run for Congress in 1998).
Mark has a long record as an effective progressive leader. His political roots took hold in blue-collar Kenosha, Wisconsin where he got his start at age eight delivering campaign literature door- to-door for his father, a long-time city alderman.
His active years at UW-Madison with the College Democrats led to his election in 1991 to the Dane County Board of Supervisors where he served Madison’s downtown community for three terms. As a small business owner, union member, and lifelong advocate for progressive causes, Mark brings his unique experience from both the private and public sector to promote job growth and support the families of south-central Wisconsin. He is Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).
In Congress, Mark has been a champion for the issues that impact the people of south-central Wisconsin and a strong voice for progressive values. He sponsored key legislation to ensure access to high quality public education, invest in clean energy, raise the minimum wage, ensure the right to vote, and close tax loopholes that allow large corporations to avoid paying their taxes in the United States and ship jobs overseas.
