U.S. House, Wisconsin 2nd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District?
Mark Pocan has the strongest record in Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District. Mark Pocan scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Mark Pocan's highest marks are relevant experience and courage. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Mark Pocan
63 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 56
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Mark Pocan
- Mark against2024-03-28
Filed a periodic transaction report on March 28, 2024 for Treasury I bond purchases made March 30, 2022 and Jan. 21, 2023, past the 45-day deadline.
Source: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20024758
- On the record2023-05-31
Voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the 2023 debt limit agreement, which Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries supported.
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2025-01-29
Held open in-person town halls in 2025 drawing hundreds, including Jan. 29 at the Madison Labor Temple and in March in Belmont.
Sources: Isthmus, Jan. 31, 2025, WKOW, March 2025
- Credit2022-12-27
Sponsored H.R. 3285, the 21st Century President Act, signed into law Dec. 27, 2022.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Mark Pocan. Reported two U.S. Treasury I bond purchases, made March 30, 2022 and Jan. 21, 2023, on a periodic transaction report filed March 28, 2024, past the 45-day deadline. No established outlet or acknowledgment on the record meets E16. No House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20024758, House Committee on Ethics site search for Pocan
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mark Pocan. Voted against the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act, the 2025 GENIUS Act and a 2026 FISA extension, each supported by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 155, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mark Pocan. Holds open in-person town halls, including a packed Jan. 29, 2025 event at the Madison Labor Temple and a March 2025 event in Belmont. He is unopposed on the 2026 ballot, so no debate applies.
Sources: Isthmus, Jan. 31, 2025, WKOW, March 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mark Pocan. Served on the Dane County Board, in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1998 to 2013 and in the U.S. House since 2013. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mark Pocan, House Committee on Ethics site search for Pocan
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Mark Pocan. Voted Nay on the January 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mark Pocan. In the U.S. House since January 2013, now seeking an eighth term, after serving in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1998 to 2013.
Sources: GovTrack, Mark Pocan, Ballotpedia, Mark Pocan
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mark Pocan. Sits on the House Appropriations Committee and its Financial Services and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education subcommittees. Holds no chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mark Pocan. Offers an e-mail newsletter and holds town halls. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey; no issue pages found on his office site.
Sources: Office site, home page, Isthmus, Jan. 31, 2025, Ballotpedia, Mark Pocan
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mark Pocan. Born in Kenosha; served on the Dane County Board from 1991 to 1996 and represented the Madison area in the Assembly for 14 years. In-state share of contributions not obtained.
Source: Ballotpedia, Mark Pocan
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mark Pocan. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Mark Pocan. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.121 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.543, below expectations. Raised to 2 under E14: his 21st Century President Act was signed into law Dec. 27, 2022.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 3285 (117th Congress)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mark Pocan. Missed 271 of 7,608 roll call votes, 3.6 percent, from January 2013 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mark Pocan. Runs a Madison district office, offers federal agency assistance and holds regular public town halls across the district. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, Services, Office site, home page, WKOW, March 2025
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mark Pocan. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.65628 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 256 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mark Pocan. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District?
Mark Pocan has the strongest record in Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District. Mark Pocan scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Mark Pocan's highest marks are relevant experience and courage. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District in 2026?
Mark Pocan (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mark Pocan a good candidate for Congress?
Mark Pocan scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 56 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Wisconsin race scored, and the Wisconsin 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.