Mark Pocan

Mark Pocan
Born	Mark William Pocan 14 8, 1964
Birthplace	Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, businessman
Known for	U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district; co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus; chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Education	University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA)
Website	[[pocan.house.gov pocan.house.gov] Official site]

Mark William Pocan (born August 14, 1964) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is centered on the state capital, Madison, and encompasses much of south-central Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party, Pocan has established himself as one of the most progressive voices in the United States House of Representatives, serving as co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and as chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which he co-chaired from 2017 to 2021. Before entering Congress, Pocan served fourteen years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 78th district from 1999 to 2013. In both the state legislature and the U.S. House, he succeeded Tammy Baldwin, following her path from the Assembly to Congress when Baldwin was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012. A senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pocan has focused on issues including healthcare affordability, defense spending oversight, LGBTQ+ rights, workers' rights, and criminal justice reform throughout his career in public service.

Early Life

Mark William Pocan was born on August 14, 1964, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a city on the shores of Lake Michigan in the southeastern corner of the state. He grew up in a working-class family in Kenosha, where he developed an early interest in politics and civic engagement. His brother, William Pocan, has also been involved in public life in Wisconsin.

Pocan's upbringing in Kenosha, an industrial city with a strong tradition of organized labor and Democratic politics, shaped many of the progressive policy positions he would later champion in both the state legislature and the U.S. Congress. The experience of growing up in a blue-collar community informed his longstanding advocacy for workers' rights, fair wages, and economic policies aimed at supporting working families.

Education

Pocan attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. The university, one of the flagship institutions of the University of Wisconsin System, is located in the heart of the congressional district Pocan would eventually represent. His time at UW–Madison placed him in one of the most politically active campus communities in the United States, and he remained in the Madison area after completing his education, eventually establishing both his business career and political career in the city.

Career

Business Career

In addition to his political career, Pocan has been a businessman in the Madison area. He has operated a printing and design business, which provided him with experience in small business ownership and management. This background has informed his legislative work on issues affecting small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Wisconsin State Assembly (1999–2013)

Pocan's career in elected office began in 1998, when he won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 78th Assembly district, which encompasses central Madison and surrounding areas. He succeeded Tammy Baldwin, who vacated the seat to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Pocan took office on January 3, 1999, and served in the Assembly for fourteen years, through January 3, 2013.

During his tenure in the state legislature, Pocan was recognized for his investigative work into the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nonprofit organization that brings together state legislators and corporate representatives to draft model legislation. Pocan gained national attention for attending ALEC meetings and reporting on the organization's activities, an effort that earned him the description of "the original ALEC spy" in a profile by The New Republic. His work helped bring public scrutiny to ALEC's role in shaping state-level legislation across the country.

In the Assembly, Pocan focused on issues including government transparency, workers' rights, and LGBTQ+ equality. He was one of the few openly gay members of the Wisconsin legislature during his service, and he used his platform to advocate for anti-discrimination protections and equal treatment under the law. He served in the Assembly until 2013, when he was succeeded by Brett Hulsey.

2012 Congressional Campaign

When Tammy Baldwin announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Herb Kohl in 2012, Pocan entered the race to succeed her in Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, continuing a pattern in which he followed Baldwin's political trajectory. The 2nd district, which includes Madison and surrounding communities in south-central Wisconsin, is considered one of the most reliably Democratic districts in the state.

Pocan won the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election in November 2012, securing the seat for the Democratic Party. His victory made him one of the few openly gay members of Congress at the time, joining a small but growing contingent of LGBTQ+ representatives in the House.

U.S. House of Representatives (2013–present)

Pocan took office on January 3, 2013, and has served continuously in the U.S. House of Representatives since that time, representing Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district. Over the course of more than a decade in Congress, he has established himself as a leading progressive voice and has taken on several prominent leadership roles within the Democratic caucus.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Leadership

Pocan served as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), the largest caucus within the Democratic House caucus, from May 23, 2017, to January 3, 2021. He shared the co-chair position with Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, succeeding Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who had vacated the position after being elected Attorney General of Minnesota. During his tenure as CPC co-chair, Pocan helped steer the caucus's policy agenda on issues including healthcare reform, income inequality, climate change, and workers' rights. When his term as co-chair concluded, Jayapal continued as the sole chair, and Pocan assumed the title of chair emeritus.

Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus

As one of the openly gay members of Congress, Pocan has served as co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, an organization within Congress that works to promote LGBTQ+ rights and equality through legislation and public advocacy. In December 2025, Pocan, along with Senator Cory Booker and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, reintroduced a bicameral resolution recognizing World AIDS Day, underscoring the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS and the importance of research funding and public health initiatives.

House Appropriations Committee

Pocan serves as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful committees in Congress, which oversees federal spending legislation. In this role, he has worked to direct federal resources to Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district and to shape national spending priorities. In early 2026, Pocan announced that all 14 of his earmark requests had been signed into law, directing federal funding to local projects and initiatives within his district. Earmarks, also known as congressionally directed spending, allow individual members of Congress to designate funds for specific projects in their districts, and Pocan's success in securing all of his requested earmarks demonstrated his effectiveness on the committee.

Defense Spending Reduction Caucus

Pocan co-founded and co-chairs the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, a group of House members who advocate for greater oversight and reduction of the U.S. defense budget. In December 2025, he voted against the fiscal year 2026 defense authorization bill, arguing that defense costs were "skyrocketing" and that the bill failed to adequately address wasteful military spending. This position is consistent with Pocan's longstanding advocacy for redirecting federal resources from military spending toward domestic priorities such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

Healthcare Advocacy

Healthcare policy has been a central focus of Pocan's congressional career. He has advocated for expanding access to affordable healthcare, protecting the Affordable Care Act, and addressing the rising cost of health insurance for working families. In September 2025, Pocan and Representative Jan Schakowsky introduced a resolution condemning the use of prior authorization requirements in Medicare, arguing that these administrative requirements delay care and harm patients. In October 2025, Pocan launched a "Share Your Story" campaign, inviting constituents to share their experiences with health insurance costs and coverage challenges, in an effort to build the case for healthcare reform.

Immigration

Pocan has been an outspoken advocate on immigration issues. He has visited the U.S.-Mexico border and introduced legislation addressing conditions at border detention facilities. In 2018, Pocan was among the Democratic lawmakers who introduced legislation to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing that the agency had become a tool for family separation and that its functions should be reorganized under other federal agencies. The proposal generated significant national debate and became a rallying point for progressive Democrats during the 2018 midterm election cycle.

Criminal Justice Reform

Pocan has supported efforts to reform the criminal justice system. In February 2026, he joined Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Deborah Ross, and Emilia Sykes in reintroducing legislation to end prison gerrymandering, the practice of counting incarcerated individuals as residents of the district where they are imprisoned rather than their home communities for purposes of legislative redistricting. Proponents of the legislation argue that prison gerrymandering distorts representation by inflating the political power of districts with large prisons while diminishing that of the communities from which prisoners originate.

Bipartisan Work

While known as one of the most progressive members of the House, Pocan has also demonstrated a willingness to work across the aisle on certain issues. He has spoken publicly about the importance of finding common ground with Republican colleagues to advance legislation, even in a polarized political environment. His reintroduction of the World AIDS Day resolution with Republican Brian Fitzpatrick in 2025 exemplified this bipartisan approach on issues of public health.

Constituent Services

Pocan has maintained an active presence in his district through regular constituent outreach. In February 2026, his office announced winter staff office hours across the 2nd congressional district, providing constituents with opportunities to meet with congressional staff to discuss federal issues and receive assistance with federal agencies.

In 2017, Pocan made a notable appearance in Republican Speaker Paul Ryan's congressional district, where he held a public event to discuss healthcare policy, drawing attention to the debate over the Affordable Care Act repeal efforts then underway in Congress.

Personal Life

Mark Pocan is openly gay and is one of the longest-serving openly LGBTQ+ members of the United States Congress. His identity has informed his legislative work on LGBTQ+ rights, including his co-chairmanship of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. Pocan resides in the Madison, Wisconsin, area, within the congressional district he represents.

Pocan's brother, William Pocan, has also been involved in Wisconsin public life. Beyond politics, Pocan has maintained his involvement in small business through his printing and design company, which he operated before and during his early years in Congress.

Recognition

Pocan's legislative career has been marked by several notable achievements and positions of influence. His election as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in 2017 placed him at the helm of the largest ideological caucus in the Democratic conference, giving him a prominent platform to shape the party's policy agenda during a period of significant political change.

His investigative work on the American Legislative Exchange Council during his time in the Wisconsin State Assembly brought him national recognition and contributed to a broader public conversation about the influence of corporate interests in state-level policymaking.

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pocan has been recognized for his effectiveness in securing federal funding for his district, with all 14 of his earmark requests being signed into law in the most recent appropriations cycle. His co-founding of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus established a formal structure within Congress for challenging defense budget growth, an effort that has attracted attention from fiscal policy advocates across the political spectrum.

Pocan has also been recognized for his role as a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ representation in politics, serving continuously in elected office as an openly gay man since 1999, first in the Wisconsin State Assembly and then in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Legacy

Mark Pocan's political career has spanned more than a quarter century of continuous service in elected office, beginning with his election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1998 and continuing through his ongoing tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. His career trajectory has closely paralleled that of Tammy Baldwin, whom he succeeded in both the state Assembly and the U.S. House, and the two have together helped establish Wisconsin as a state with a notable record of LGBTQ+ political representation.

Within the Democratic Party, Pocan has played a significant role in the growth and influence of the progressive wing, particularly through his leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus during a period when progressive policy positions—including Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and defense spending reduction—moved from the margins to the center of Democratic policy debates. His willingness to take positions considered unconventional, such as the proposal to abolish ICE in 2018, contributed to shifting the parameters of mainstream political discourse on immigration enforcement.

Pocan's work on the House Appropriations Committee has demonstrated the intersection of progressive ideology and practical governance, as he has used the earmarking process to direct federal resources to community-level projects in his district while simultaneously advocating for fundamental changes to national spending priorities.

His ongoing legislative activity as of early 2026—including work on healthcare reform, criminal justice, defense spending oversight, and LGBTQ+ rights—indicates a continued commitment to the progressive policy agenda that has defined his career in public service.