Mark Pocan
Mark Pocan, a Democrat who has represented Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013 and is chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is seeking reelection in 2026 after winning the Democratic primary.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- August 14, 1964
- Birthplace
- Kenosha, Wisconsin
- Education
- Mary D. Bradford High School (1982)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (bachelor's degree in journalism, 1986)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Mark Pocan was born on August 14, 1964, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was raised. He graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in 1982, having been elected senior class president, and earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986. Shortly after graduating he opened his own printing company, Budget Signs & Specialties. Pocan and his long-term partner, Philip Frank, were married in Toronto on November 24, 2006.
Career
Pocan's activity in College Democrats at the University of Wisconsin-Madison led to his election in 1991 to the Dane County Board of Supervisors, where he served three terms before leaving in 1996.
In 1998 he ran to succeed his longtime friend Tammy Baldwin in the Wisconsin State Assembly, winning a three-way Democratic primary with 54% of the vote, and he represented the 78th Assembly district from 1999 to 2013.
During six years on the Joint Finance Committee he served a term as co-chair, and in 2008 he ran the Assembly Democrats' caucus campaign efforts.
When Baldwin gave up her congressional seat in 2012 to run for the U.S. Senate, Pocan won a four-candidate Democratic primary for the open 2nd district with 72% of the vote and defeated Republican Chad Lee 68% to 32% in the general election. He has served in the U.S. House since 2013.
Pocan is co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which he co-chaired with Pramila Jayapal, and he serves on the Committee on Appropriations.
2026 race
Mark Pocan is the incumbent in Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, which contains much of southern Wisconsin, including Madison, Monroe, Dodgeville, and Baraboo. He was reelected with 70.1% of the vote in 2024. In the 2026 Democratic primary, Pocan defeated Douglas Alexander, receiving 87.93% of the vote to Alexander's 11.94%. He is the Democratic nominee in the general election on November 3, 2026.