Tammy Baldwin may be vacating Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District seat (Baldwin is in a tight race to become the fist openly gay U.S. Senator), but someone like-minded will likely fill her seat.
Mark Pocan, an out gay state Rep. and longtime friend of Baldwin's, is poised to take her place in the heavily Democratic district, which includes Madison.
Windy City Times caught up with Pocan to talk about the challenges facing LGBT Wisconsinites and his own journey to becoming a lawmaker and LGBT advocate.
Windy City Times: Why Congress right now for you?
Mark Pocan: Because I love dysfunction. [Laughs] No—there is just so much that needs to happen, and I absolutely love my job. I love being able to pass laws that can help improve people's lives and help constituents get healthcare or navigate state agencies.
I just see this as a natural extension, just taking on additional issues, step into new areas but continuing to do the kind of work that I've done here in the legislature. I just think especially right now in Congress, you need people who have experience and have the right values to get in there and try to get something done. I think that's been my career as a legislator.
WCT: You're a progressive candidate at a time when a lot of the country is becoming more and more conservative. How do you stay afloat in that climate?
Mark Pocan: I think the same is true of our Wisconsin legislature. I think I was one of the most progressive if not the most progressive member of the legislature, but I also have this reputation of being able to work with people on the other side of the aisle.
What I've learned from being around as long as I have is that at the end of the day, the one thing that people who actually vote for us expect from us is to get something done. I've learned that you don't have to compromise your values but you do have to find compromise. I've been able to get that done in a lot of different areas. Having been the former chair of the finance committee that writes the state budget, I've really had to do that literally every day while in office.
WCT: It has been a very trying few years for Wisconsin. What do you think was the most challenging issue that you took on?
Mark Pocan: The last two years were very much clouded by our governor and his actions that caused the uprising. It's been a tough couple of years in Wisconsin with the recall, the changes in collective bargaining and everything else. But I think I look back two sessions ago when I was co-chair of the Finance Committee. We had $6.6-billion deficit out of a $60-billion budget. Being able to solve that without devastating cuts to education or health care [is something] I'm really proud of. We did a lot of good things.
WCT: I read that you actually had a gay-bashing incident when you were younger, and that motivated you to work on LGBT issues.
Mark Pocan: You know, I was out to some friends but not out out. I had just started a small [printing] business, and I had been gay-bashed outside. I left the gay bar and had been walking, and got stopped by two people with a baseball bat and knocked unconscious.
Having to deal with one, the idea that people would still do that to someone simply because of their sexual orientation, but more so how do you make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else and getting active, being involved, and being active with our associations and groups? So I joined a bunch of boards for LGBT organizations and got very active. I always was politically active but more from a partisan sense, not an issue sense and that really got me more active on our issues.
WCT: What year was that?
Mark Pocan: When it happened was probably 20-24 years ago.
WCT: You're a local business owner in Wisconsin as well.
Mark Pocan: My partner and I have a small specialty printing business, a small union shop. I started it when I was 23. I've now run it for half of my lifetime. Both my parents have small businesses. It made logical sense for me.
It's really been great because having served before the legislature on the Dane County Board, that's where I first got to know Tammy Baldwin. We were on the county board together, 19 years of public service.
WCT: Speaking of Tammy, this is the second time you've pursued a seat she vacated. You're both out politicians. You're good friends. I have to ask—are you following Tammy?
Mark Pocan: Ha. Well, I think the interesting part—the first time running for the legislature, the second time the congressional race—[is that] my legislative district is just at the heart of the core of progressive votes. It over-performs just about any legislative district, so it's often got a real strong base to run for Congress from because of the turnout. So it probably had less to do on this one—following Tammy—than it did. I came from a really great piece of geography.
WCT: What issues do you think are most pressing for LGBT people in Wisconsin right now?
Mark Pocan: Marriage equality. I think since we have momentum on it, we need to continue that. And the fact that you have the president and the vice-president expressing their support and seeing a lot of polls continue to get better over the last few years just means that we need to make sure we're working on that. When you allow discrimination in an institution like that, that allows discrimination in other areas.
But also making sure that some of the laws that are on the books that don't provide full equality change...
WCT: Would you say the same for the issues facing the country at large?
Mark Pocan: Absolutely. I think they're very similar. I don't think Wisconsin has unique LGBT issues than the national issues because I don't think there's discrimination in one state that's different than another state. So, we have to fight for full equality across the country.
WCT: What issues beyond LGBT issues are you most passionate about right now?
Mark Pocan: There's no question that jobs and the economy are going to be the central issue coming into the next Congress… And when it comes to issues like health care, I want to make sure that we're continuing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. I would like to continue to push for more access.
WCT: How do you want other people to characterize you as a lawmaker?
Mark Pocan: You know, I'm someone who has strong progressive values and has the ability to get things done, and I think that's been my hallmark in the legislature.
More information on Mark Pocan can be found at www.pocanforcongress.com .
