Mark Pocan is running for Tammy Baldwin's seat in the Wisconsin 2nd District; Tammy Baldwin is currently running for Senate hoping to replace retiring Senator Herb Kohl.
Mark Pocan has spent the last 13 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing one of the strongest progressive districts in the state. Yet 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.In his six terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, Pocan has earned numerous awards for both his legislative victories and his community service. He helped create the Wisconsin Quality Home Care Commission, authored the American Jobs Act and the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act and was deeply involved in many progressive initiatives focused on collective bargaining rights, public financing of clean elections, domestic partner protections and corrections reform.
State Rep. Mark Pocan has, since his election to the state Legislature in 1998, been a leader in the fight to educate and engage citizens with the struggle over the failed "free trade" consensus. While trade agreements are negotiated -- usually in secret -- by presidential administrations and voted on by Congress, there are highly significant consequences for states.
For six years Pocan sat on the state's powerful budget writing Joint Finance Committee, including a term as co-chair last session. He has also taken on a leading role among Assembly Democrats, running caucus campaign efforts in 2008 when Democrats went from five seats to successfully retaking the majority for the first time in 14 years.