Mark Pocan's Inspirational Story

 

     Few people know the names of their representatives, let alone their stories, and, especially in cases like that of Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, it is truly tragic, for Pocan's is especially inspirational.

     Born and raised in Kenosha, he received his degree in journalism from UW-Madison 1986 and opened a printing company soon afterward, joining the AFL-CIO. An openly gay man, he was beaten and taunted in a brutal attack after his graduation, which led him to become active in progressive political causes, the LGBTQ being a prime example.

     Elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors in 1991, he soon moved up the political ladder. Elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly to replace Tammy Baldwin in 1998, he won 75 to 95 percent of the vote in every subsequent election whether or not he faced a Republican challenger. While in the Assembly, he focused on criminal justice and budget issues. He is widely credited with moving Wisconsin's political conversation leftward.

     On November 24th, 2006, he married his longtime partner, Philip Frank, in Ontario, Canada. 

     In 2013, when Tammy Baldwin moved from the U.S. House to the U.S. Senate, he once again took her seat, this time in national politics. Pocan has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, chairing the LGBT Equality Caucus as well as the Progressive Caucus from 2017 to 2021. His prime focus has once again been on the budget, this time using the principle of peaceful resolution to conflicts as a tool to decrease America's military-induced deficit.

     A a bisexual man and a Wisconsinite, I thank you, Mark Pocan!