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Mark Pocan

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Mark Pocan
Pocan in 2017
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded byTammy Baldwin
Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
In office
May 23, 2017 – January 3, 2021
Preceded byKeith Ellison
Succeeded byPramila Jayapal (as chair)
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 78th district
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byTammy Baldwin
Succeeded byBrett Hulsey
Personal details
Born
Mark William Pocan

(1964-08-14) August 14, 1964 (age 60)
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Philip Frank
​
(m. 2006)​
RelativesWilliam S. Pocan (brother)
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison (BA)
Websitepocan.house.gov Edit this at Wikidata
Mark Pocan's voice
Mark Pocan speaks in support of the Respect for Marriage Act
Recorded December 8, 2022

Mark William Pocan (/ˈpoʊkæn/ POH-kan; born August 14, 1964) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is based in the state capital, Madison. A member of the Democratic Party, Pocan is co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. From 1999 to 2013 he served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 78th district,[1] succeeding Tammy Baldwin there,[2] whom he also replaced in the House when Baldwin was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Early life and education

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Pocan was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He graduated from Harvey Elementary School, Washington Junior High School, and Mary D. Bradford High School in 1982, where he was elected senior class president. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1986.

Early career

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Shortly after graduating, Pocan opened up his own small business, a printing company named Budget Signs & Specialties, which he continues to own and run as of 2012. He is a member of the AFL-CIO, which he joined as a small business owner.[3]

Pocan's active years at UW–Madison in 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, leaving the board in 1996.

Wisconsin Assembly

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Pocan at the 2012 Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools banquet

Elections

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In 1998 Pocan's longtime friend and ally, Tammy Baldwin, gave up her seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly to make a successful run for Congress. Pocan ran to succeed her in the western Madison district and won a three-way Democratic primary with 54% of the vote. He faced no Republican opponent in the general election and won with 93% of the vote against an independent. He won reelection in 2000 with 81%—the only time he faced a Republican challenger. He was unopposed for reelection from 2002 to 2010.[4]

Tenure

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As a state legislator, Pocan earned a reputation for moving the Wisconsin political debate to the left. One of the most outspoken progressive members of the state assembly, he focused on difficult issues, including corrections reform, the state budget, education funding, and fighting privatization schemes.[citation needed]

For six years Pocan sat on the Joint Finance Committee, including a term as co-chair.[citation needed] He also took on a leading role among Assembly Democrats, running caucus campaign efforts in 2008 when Democrats went from five seats down to retaking the majority for the first time in 14 years.[citation needed]

Committee assignments

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  • Committee on Urban and Local Affairs
  • Committee on Colleges and Universities
  • Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems
  • Joint Finance Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin § District 2

In 2012, Baldwin gave up her congressional seat in order to run for the U.S. Senate and Pocan decided to run in the open 2nd congressional district. He won a four-candidate Democratic primary with 72% of the vote. He won all 7 counties in the district, including the heavily populated Dane County with 74% of the vote.[5] The 2nd is so heavily Democratic that the Democratic primary was considered the real contest, and it was widely believed that Pocan had assured himself a seat in Congress by winning it.[6] On November 6, 2012, Pocan won the general election, defeating Republican Chad Lee 68%–32%.[7][8]

Tenure

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In 2023, Pocan was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[9][10]

Pocan was among the 46 House Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[11]

After the drone strikes on aid workers from World Central Kitchen in April 2024, Pocan, James P. McGovern, Jan Schakowsky, Nancy Pelosi and 36 other Democratic members of Congress urged President Joe Biden in an open letter to reconsider planned arms shipments to the Israeli military.[12][13]

On July 19, 2024, Pocan called for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.[14]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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Paper and Packaging Caucus[21]

Political activism

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Pocan in July 2018

Pocan identifies as a progressive Democrat, and is a member of organizations including Wisconsin Citizens Action, the American Civil Liberties Union, Fair Wisconsin[23] and Midwest Progressive Elected Officials Network. He is also one of the few progressive Democrats to have joined the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative-leaning organization that produces model legislative proposals. Pocan used his membership to investigate the organization's agenda and sponsors and wrote a series of articles on his experiences with ALEC for the Madison-based magazine The Progressive from 2008 to 2011.[24][25][26] On the September 29, 2012, edition of Moyers and Company, Pocan said, "ALEC is a corporate dating service for lonely legislators and corporate special interests that eventually the relationship culminates with some special-interest legislation and hopefully that lives happily ever after as the ALEC model. Unfortunately what's excluded from that equation is the public."[27]

In September 2018 Pocan supported legislation invoking the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to stop U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, saying, "The world’s worst humanitarian crisis has been triggered by our secretive, illegal war in Yemen waged alongside the Saudi regime. As the Saudis use famine as a weapon of war, starving millions of innocent Yemenis to near death, the United States fuels, coordinates and provides bombs for Saudi airstrikes, and secretly deploys the military to participate in on-the-ground operations with Saudi troops.”[28]

In April 2019, after the House passed the resolution withdrawing American support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, Pocan was one of nine lawmakers to sign a letter to President Trump requesting a meeting with him and urging him to sign "Senate Joint Resolution 7, which invokes the War Powers Act of 1973 to end unauthorized US military participation in the Saudi-led coalition's armed conflict against Yemen's Houthi forces, initiated in 2015 by the Obama administration." They asserted the "Saudi-led coalition's imposition of an air-land-and-sea blockade as part of its war against Yemen’s Houthis has continued to prevent the unimpeded distribution of these vital commodities, contributing to the suffering and death of vast numbers of civilians throughout the country" and that Trump's signing the resolution would give a "powerful signal to the Saudi-led coalition to bring the four-year-old war to a close."[29]

Pocan supports decreasing U.S. military spending.[30] Pocan, Pramila Jayapal and Barbara Lee attempted to reduce the size of the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, but their motion was rejected 93-324. The Congressional Progressive Caucus cochairs Jayapal and Pocan declared: "Every handout to Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman is money that could have been spent on ending [COVID-19] pandemic, keeping small businesses afloat and staving off an economic meltdown."[31]

In July 2019 Pocan voted against a House resolution introduced by Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider of Illinois opposing the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel.[32] The resolution passed 398-17.[33]

On December 18, 2019, Pocan voted for both articles of impeachment against President Trump.[34]

In January 2020, Pocan endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president.[35]

In May 2021, Pocan and Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drafted a resolution to block the sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel after the Biden administration approved the sale.[36]

In July 2024, in protest of the Gaza-Israel conflict, Pocan chose not to attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress.[37]

Personal life

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Pocan is openly gay. He credits his political activism in part to an incident soon after he graduated from college and opened his printing business, when two men followed him after he left a gay bar and beat him with a baseball bat while they called him "faggot" and other anti-gay slurs.[38] This gay bashing incident spurred him to become active in the Madison LGBT community.[39] Pocan was the only openly gay member of the state Assembly after Tammy Baldwin's election to Congress, and one of three LGBT members of the 100th Wisconsin Legislature,[3] alongside Sen. Tim Carpenter (D–Milwaukee) and bisexual Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa (D–Milwaukee).

On November 24, 2006, Pocan and his long-term partner, Philip Frank, were legally married in Toronto, Ontario.[40]

Pocan's brother, William S. Pocan, serves as a circuit court judge in Milwaukee County.[41]

Pocan is among the few U.S. representatives not to identify with any religion.[42]

Awards and honors

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Pocan has received the following recognitions while in office:

  • Fair Wisconsin Statewide Leader Award (2009)
  • Planned Parenthood Rebecca Young Leadership Award (2009)
  • Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Legislator of the Year (2008)[43]
  • Wisconsin Library Association’s Public Policy Award (2008)
  • Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault Voices of Courage Public Policy Award (2008)[44]
  • Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Honor Roll (2008)[45]
  • Wisconsin Aids Fund award (2007)
  • Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Conservation Champion (2006)
  • Wisconsin Counties Association Outstanding Legislator Award (2006 & 2008)
  • Clean Wisconsin Clean 16 Award (2004, 2002 & 2000)
  • ACLU Special Recognition Award (2001)
  • Wisconsin Federation of Teachers State Employees Council Representative of the Year (2003 & 2002)
  • Outreach Man of the Year (1999)[46]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly (1998–2010)

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U.S. House of Representatives (2012–present)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2012 Primary[47] Aug. 14 Mark Pocan Democratic 43,171 72.16% Kelda Roys Dem. 13,081 21.87% 59,826 30,090
Matt Silverman Dem. 2,365 3.95%
Dennis Hall Dem. 1,163 1.94%
General[48] Nov. 6 Mark Pocan Democratic 265,422 67.90% Chad Lee Rep. 124,683 31.90% 390,898 140,739
Joe Kopsick (write-in) Ind. 6 0.00%
2014 General[49] Nov. 4 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 224,920 68.40% Peter Theron Rep. 103,619 31.51% 328,847 121,301
2016 General[50] Nov. 8 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 273,537 68.72% Peter Theron Rep. 124,044 31.16% 398,060 149,493
2018 General[51] Nov. 6 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 309,116 97.42% Joey Wayne Reed (write-in) Rep. 29 0.01% 317,295 300,975
Rick Cruz (write-in) Ind. 8 0.00%
Bradley Jason Burt (write-in) Dem. 1 0.00%
2020 General[52] Nov. 3 Mark Pocan (inc) Democratic 318,523 69.67% Peter Theron Rep. 138,306 30.25% 457,205 180,217

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wisconsin Blue Book 2011-2012. p. 71.
  2. ^ "Mark Pocan wins Madison-area US House race, keeping Baldwin's vacated seat with Democrats". chron.com. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Weier, Anita (October 28, 2004), "UW Student Challenges Rep. Pocan", The Capital Times, retrieved March 12, 2008
  4. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Mark Pocan". Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  5. ^ "Our Campaigns - WI - District 02 - D Primary Race - Aug 14, 2012". Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  6. ^ Weisberg, Louis (August 14, 2012). "Pocan wins Democratic Primary, on track to become next out member of Congress". Wisconsin Gazette. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - WI - District 02 Race - Nov 06, 2012". Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  8. ^ Zinck, Shaun. "Pocan inherits Baldwin's seat". beloitdailynews.com. Beloit Daily News. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  9. ^ "H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023".
  10. ^ "House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria". Associated Press. March 8, 2023.
  11. ^ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "Pelosi, Democratic lawmakers urge Biden to put conditions on military aid to Israel". thehill.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  13. ^ FINAL Letter to Biden Admin re WCK Airstrike and Arms Transfers (5 April 2024, pocan.house.gov)
  14. ^ "Rep. Mark Pocan calls on Biden to drop out, saying concerns are 'jeopardizing' Dem chances". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Mark Pocan Member Profile". clerk.house.gov. Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
  16. ^ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  17. ^ "Members of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus". Veterinary Medicine Caucus. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  18. ^ "Congressional Animal Protection Caucus - Members". Congressman Earl Blumenauer. September 13, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  19. ^ "Defense Spending Reduction Caucus". Congresswoman Barbara Lee. February 22, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  20. ^ "Membership". Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  21. ^ afandpa.org
  22. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  23. ^ "Fair Wisconsin – Advancing, achieving and protecting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Wisconsinites". Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  24. ^ Pocan, Mark. "Inside ALEC: Through the Corporate Looking Glass". The Progressive. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  25. ^ Pocan, Mark (August 4, 2011). "ALEC Watch: What I did on my Summer Vacation". The Progressive. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  26. ^ Pocan, Mark. "Inside the ALEC Dating Service". The Progressive. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  27. ^ "United States of ALEC - Moyers & Company - BillMoyers.com". Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  28. ^ "House lawmakers pursue end to US military role in Yemen". Stars and Stripes. September 26, 2018.
  29. ^ Haitiwanger, John (April 5, 2019). "Bernie Sanders, Rand Paul, Ro Khanna, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Trump imploring him to end US support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen". sfgate.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  30. ^ "House and Senate Poised For Historic Votes On Reducing Pentagon Spending". Forbes. July 21, 2020.
  31. ^ "We Can No Longer Afford the Military-Industrial Complex". The Nation. July 22, 2020.
  32. ^ Clare Foran (July 24, 2019). "Who voted 'no' on the House resolution opposing Israel boycott movement". CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  33. ^ Schneider, Bradley Scott (July 23, 2019). "H.Res.246 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel". www.congress.gov. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  34. ^ "WHIP COUNT: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump". Business Insider.
  35. ^ "Rep. Mark Pocan announces he's endorsing Bernie Sanders in Wisconsin primary". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. January 16, 2020.
  36. ^ "U.S. House Democrats offer resolution blocking $735 million Israel weapons sale". Reuters. May 19, 2021.
  37. ^ "Wisconsin's Democratic delegation split on attending Netanyahu address to Congress". CBS58. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  38. ^ Pocan, Mark. "A Seat at the Table". Our Lives (March/April 2012): 23.
  39. ^ Riley, John (April 6, 2017). "Congressional Wisdom: An interview with Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan". Metro Weekly. Washington D.C.
  40. ^ Conklin, Melanie (December 13, 2006), "Gay Legislator's Marriage Is About Being A Couple", Wisconsin State Journal, retrieved March 12, 2008
  41. ^ 'Wisconsin Blue Book 2011-2012,' Wisconsin Circuit Court Judges, pg. 573
  42. ^ "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress" (PDF). Pew Research Center. January 3, 2023.
  43. ^ "Professional Fire Fighters" (PDF). Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, Inc. Summer 2008. p. 14. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  44. ^ "Events: Voices of Courage Awards - WCASA". Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  45. ^ "Conservation Scorecard Reports Historic Conservation Wins" (PDF). Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. July 16, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  46. ^ "Past OutReach Awards Recipients". OutReach. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  47. ^ Canvass Results for 2012 Partisan Primary - 8/14/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. August 28, 2012. p. 2. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  48. ^ Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  49. ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 26, 2014. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  50. ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 22, 2016. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  51. ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. pp. 3–4. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  52. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2022.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mark Pocan.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 78th district
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2013 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district
2013–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
2017–2021
Served alongside: Raúl Grijalva, Pramila Jayapal 		Succeeded by
Pramila Jayapal
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
136th 		Succeeded by
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