Baldwin -> Pocan -> Taylor . . . Roys -> ?

Let the games begin! The dominos are falling. I sure hope that this all works out . . .

Tammy Baldwin announces she is running for Senate on Tuesday.

Wednesday, Mark Pocan has his press conference saying he’s running for Congress

Pocan Announces for Congress
State Rep. Mark Pocan announced this morning that he is running for Congress in Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District. Pocan’s declaration followed yesterday’s announcement from the current Congressional Rep. Tammy Baldwin that she is running for U.S. Senate.

“To everyone who struggles to make ends meet, who worries about job security, who wonders whether they can pay their child’s tuition bill and keep paying the mortgage and for those of you who have tried and tried but still cannot find work: I pledge that I will go to Washington to fight for you.”

Pocan pointed to his leadership against Gov. Walker’s agenda as how he will fight in Washington. “If standing up to Scott Walker was the first battle, standing up to Paul Ryan and his brand of anti-government radicalism may well be the defining one.”

Pocan said his record demonstrates he can get things done, even in a divided Congress: “But, we have to recognize the difference between compromise and capitulation – and when it comes to our core principles, I will never capitulate.

Pocan released the initial endorsements of his campaign (below). “I’m pleased to have the support of so many activists that recognize that we need to shake up Washington and make a difference for Wisconsin’s families, ” said Pocan.

Mark Pocan has been a small businessman and union employer for over 20 years. He was elected in 1998 to succeed Tammy Baldwin as the State Representative of Wisconsin’s 78th Assembly district when Baldwin was elected to Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional district. Pocan, the only openly gay member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, has earned a reputation as an adept legislator who can bridge Wisconsin’s political divide to win progressive victories. The rare political combination earned him the honor of Milwaukee Magazine’s “Best Legislator,” the last time the rankings occurred in 2009.

In 2009, Pocan was awarded SEIU Legislator of the year for his efforts to create the Wisconsin Quality Home Care Commission and the Planned Parenthood Rebecca Young Leadership Award for his authoring the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act. The same year, he was also awarded the Fair Wisconsin Statewide Leader award for his role in creating a Domestic Partner Registry and to provide domestic partners with 43 legal protections currently afforded to married couples.

In 1991, Pocan was elected to the Dane County Board. He served Madison’s downtown community for three two-year terms, representing Madison’s ninth district (1991-1992) and fourth district (1992-1996).

Pocan was born and raised in Kenosha, WI. He moved to Madison, to attend college. Shortly, after earning his degree in journalism, he opened Budget Signs & Specialties in 1988 and has run the business ever since. Among Pocan’s many volunteer activities, are Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Madison, WI Citizen Action, AIDS Network, Madison Development Corporation.

Announcing their support for Mark Pocan for Congress:
Wisconsin Unions
International Union of Painters & Allied Trades, District Council 7
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 159
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 311 – Madison Firefighters

Statewide Elected Officials
Former Governor Tony Earl

Madison Mayors
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin
Former Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
Former Mayor Joe Sensenbrenner

Dane County Executives
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi
Former Dane County Executive Rick Phelps

Wisconsin Members of Assembly
Rep. Terese Berceau
Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts
Rep. Brett Hulsey
Rep. Andy Jorgenson
Rep. Gary Hebl

Dane County Board Supervisors
Barbara Vedder
Al Matano
Paul Rusk
Chuck Erickson
Melanie Hampton
Carousel Bayrd
Tom Stoebig
Sheila Stubbs
Robin Schmidt
Kyle Richmond
Denise Duranczyk
Bob Salov

Madison Alders
Council President Lauren Cnare
Lisa Subeck
Mike Verveer
Marsha Rummel
Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
Brian Solomon
Larry Palm
Satya Rhodes-Conway
Joe Clausius
Matt Phair

Madison School Board
James Howard
Ed Hughes
Lucy Mathiak
Beth Moss
Marj Passman
Arlene Silveira

Monona Elected Officials
Monona Mayor Bob Miller
Monona Council President Doug Wood
Monona Alderman Chad Speight

Other Elected Officials
Town of Dunn Chair Ed Minihan
Town of Turtle Chair Roger Anclam
Sauk-Prairie School Board President Rich Judge
Fitchburg Alder Dorothy Krause
Fitchburg Alder Steve Arnold

Former Elected Officials
County Board Chair Dick Wagner
Fitchburg Mayor Jeanie Sieling
Sup. Buzz Davis
Verona Mayor Bob Kasieta
Verona Mayor Art Cresson
Sup. Sally Mackie
Monona Mayor Robb Kahl
Sup. Eyvonne Crawford Gray
Alder Julia Kerr
Sup. Jim Van Deurzen
Sup. Judy Wilcox
Ald. Ricardo Gonzalez
Sup. Maureen Arcand
Ald. Hank Lufler
Sup. John Scepanski
Ald. Andy Heidt
Sup. Nelson Eisman
Alder Gary Paulson
Sup. Scott McCormick
Ald. Doug Kratsch
Sup. Dode Lowe
Ald. Jean McCubbin
Sup. Beverly Hills
Alder Judy Olson
Rep. Mike Sheridan
Sup. Stephen Braunginn
School Board Member Joann Elder
County Board Chair Kevin Kesterson
School Board Member Bill Keys
Sup. Judy Reed
School Board Member Mary Kay Baum
Rep. David Clarenbach
Alder Brenda Konkel

Community Leaders
Mark Redsten
Anne Sayers
Ada Deer
Deirdre Garton
Joel Rogers & Sarah Siskind
Ed Garvey
Henry Sanders
Joe & Joann Elder
Greg & Terri Spring
Caryl Terrell
Ben & Sarah Manski
Ken Opin & Jan Silver
Tod Ambs
TJ Mertz
Mark Thompson
Jenny Braunginn
Carmen Stout & Katie Schultz Stout
John Simonson
Carol Weidel
Marge Sutinen
Vaughn Vance
Annette Eisman
Mike Quieto
Lukas Diaz
Steve Starkey
Margaret McMurray & Denise Matyka
Jen Broberg
Kevin Benish
Barbara Alvarado
Mary & Kendall Rouse
Maureen Torphy
Erik Paulson
Paul Fisk
Gene Farley
Peter Rickman
Kay Lund
Glenn & Leah Wavrunek
Craig Trost
Janet Piraino
Casey Slaughter
Gretchen Lowe
Christine Holcomb & Jesse Waters
Katie Belanger
Melanie Conklin
Ryan Alexander
Mary Strickland & Mariema Barroquillo
Roger Ervin
Mark Horn
Sharyl Kato
Lindsey Lee
Sig Midelfort
Lester Pines
Andy Schauer
Gary Storck
Sue Minihan
James Gray
Nancy Kathman & Bob Queen
Crawford Young
Patrick Farabaugh
Leslie Peterson
Corkey Custer
Richard S. Russell
Tamara Packard & Renee Herber
Mary Ann Fahl
Dr. Bernie Mickie
David Sensenbrenner
Art & Sue Lloyd
Casey Gearhart
Jane Jensen
John & Leslie Taylor
Karen Timberlake
Tom Elert
Gof Thomson
Dora Zuninga
Ed Sadlowski Jr.
Scott Haumersen
Salli Martyniak
Callen Harty
Anne Habel
Mary Babula
Eileen Marshant
Kaja Rebane
Mary Jo Schiovanni
Helen Nelson
Kevin Sherry
Sunshine Jones & Joanne Kelly
Charles Sommers
Angie Hougas
Marianne Morton
Dan Lippitt
Roslyn Peltier
Hannah Jon Taylor
Matt Kenyon
Michael Moskoff
Dennis DeNure
Hiam Garner
BJ Hamon
Doug Wallace
Barry & Marilyn Orton
Henry Doane
Aaron Crandall
Miles Tristan
W. Earle Smith
Todd Winstrom
Bob Power
Dan Ross
Tom Running
Jen Schafbuch
Mike Ray
Brenda Haskins
Bob & Jesse Gwynne
Charles H. Day
Tom McSweeney
Carrie Sachse & George Hofheimer
Rex Loehe
Mark Porter
Todd Lane
Marcia Kasieta
Mary Lou Keleher
Brent McNabb
Gary Goyke & Nancy Rottier
Jim Thorpe
Mary Beth George
Berta Armacanqui
Charlie Saunders
Ron McCrea
Joe & Donna Parisi
Deb Archer
Marsh & Susan Shapiro
Lisa Ellinger
Don Schott
Rosemary Lee
Dan Curd
Jane Kinney
Diane Cieslewicz
Al Zins
John Horn & Bridget McCann Horn
Jim Imhoff
Tom Krajewski
Dace Zeps
Evan Michael Giesemann
Aaron Collins
Tom Neal & Patrick Jones
Greg Hull
Scott & Donna McKay
Martin Alvarado
Mike Fahey
Mary Ellyn Sensenbrenner
Tom Reed
Mary Bottari
Kevin Kreeger
Crystal Anders & Jay Solwold
Chauncey Hunker & Mike Schmidtke
Jim Moe
Jim Bresette & Bill Berg
Tim & Rita Kehl
Chad Whiteside
Jerry Sieling
Dave Boetcher
Phil Frank
Alison Turner & John Anderson
Anne Katz & David Wallner
Mike Konopacki

As does Kelda Helen Roys
Despite my attempts to get off all the Dem Party lists – I somehow got three of these emailed to me . . . but no press relase, so here it is from elsewhere.

Today, I am excited to share with you that I am running for Congress.

I believe that we need bold, passionate, leaders who will set the right priorities for our country and be true to our progressive principles. We care deeply about our community, and we believe in the shared values of opportunity, accountability, and fairness. Click here to join the campaign!

There is a vacuum in the next generation of progressive leaders in Washington, D.C. Congress has become less responsive to the public, and especially, to the concerns of my generation and our children’s generation. For too long, huge corporations have bent not only our economy to their advantage, but our government as well. Corporate interests have won out at the expense of the public interest, and that is wrong. Wisconsin’s middle class families need representation: we need a strong, progressive voice to fight for family-supporting jobs, and for opportunity, accountability, and fairness.

As you may have heard, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is giving up her congressional seat to run for U.S. Senate. I strongly support her as a trailblazing leader and a mentor to me. I know that she will continue to serve our state well as our next Senator.

Now, we need to make sure that a bold, progressive leader fills her shoes in Congress. As the Caucus Chair of the Assembly Democrats, I was proud to help lead the fight against Governor Walker and the Republicans’ extreme agenda and plans to sell out our state to wealthy corporate interests. I will bring this passion and energy to fighting John Boehner, Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor in Washington. I have a bold plan to create jobs and help renew our nation’s commitment to the middle class.

I ask you to join me in fighting for the middle class. I will fight for jobs, education, and the environment. I will fight for rights for workers, women, LGBT people, and the disenfranchised. Most of all, I will stand up to the corporate interests that put their own profits before the public interest.

Please sign up for the campaign, make a contribution, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Together, we can bring bold, progressive leadership from Wisconsin to Washington!

Forward!

Kelda Helen Roys

P.S. Please help launch a strong grassroots campaign with a contribution today of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford. This is a grassroots campaign – not one funded by corporate interests. Together, we can fight the Republicans’ extreme agenda and strengthen the middle class!

So Thursday, Chris Taylor is running for Pocan’s seat.

REPRESENTATIVE TAYLOR WILL RUN IN 76TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT IN 2012
If Gerrymandered districts remain, Taylor’s home district will be AD 76th

Madison –In light of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin’s announcement that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Senator Herb Kohl and state Representative Mark Pocan’s announcement that he will run for Baldwin’s congressional seat, Representative Chris Taylor announced that she will seek her 2012 re-election to the Assembly in the 76th District:

“I would like to congratulate Tammy Baldwin and Mark Pocan on their new pursuits. I have great admiration for both of them, their years of public service and their leadership for the state of Wisconsin. They are true champions of the progressive movement.

I am happy to call the east side of Madison home, where I have lived for 16 years. My family is rooted in our neighborhood and community. Last week I walked my five year old son to school for his first day of Kindergarten at Lowell Elementary school, just a few blocks from our home.

One of the byproducts of the Republicans’ abuse of power, which I was elected to fight, is the most partisan redistricting map in the history of Wisconsin. The Republicans’ redistricting scheme was hastily passed out of fear they would lose their majority in the Senate in the recall elections. I am appalled that their gerrymandered plan divided communities that have shared representation for decades. Their plan has chopped the 48th Assembly District into three parts and radically changed other districts throughout the state. As a result, this partisan redistricting map is being challenged in federal court.

If these gerrymandered districts survive the pending legal challenge, for my fall 2012 re-election, I will no longer live in the 48th Assembly District. I intend to run for re-election in my home district, which would be the newly configured 76th Assembly District. I would be honored to represent not only the current parts of my district which remain in the 76th, but the downtown, campus and near west-side neighborhoods which are also included. These communities share a strong progressive tradition and deserve a strong progressive champion as their legislator, which I will be.

My priority for the remainder of my term is to fight as hard as I can for the people of the current 48th Assembly District who elected me to champion environmental protections and the rights of working families, women and children.”

Let the games begin! Next?