Mark on the Midterms: Congressman Pocan talks flipping the House, Derrick Van Orden’s antics, Bryan Steil’s vulnerability, a Wisconsin trifecta, much more

Mark Pocan served 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly before being elected to Congress in 2012, and is now in his seventh term representing Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District.

Congressman Pocan is running unopposed for re-election this year, and is getting to work helping other candidates in Wisconsin as part of Democrats’ quest to flip the House of Representatives. The 3rd Congressional District contest between Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden and Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke has always been considered especially competitive, but now, given the national environment, the 1st Congressional District is very much in play, Pocan says. A Kenosha native himself, Pocan sees a real opportunity for Democrat Mitchell Berman to unseat Republican Bryan Steil.

Along with the 1st District — and Bryan Steil’s unique electoral vulnerabilities, particularly around stock trading — Pocan discussed his often contentious relationship with Rep. Derrick Van Orden, and what might happen if Democrats take the House in the midterms.

Plus: As someone who was part of the majority the last time Democrats controlled the Assembly, he offered his thoughts on key downballot races and the potential for the first Democratic trifecta in more than 15 years.

For a beat-by-beat breakdown of this episode, check out our timestamps below:

* 00:00:14 Welcome and Meet Congressman Mark Pocan

* 00:00:45 Running Unopposed in the Midterms

* 00:02:46 Why This Election Is “Definitional”

* 00:05:07 Trump’s Slipping Approval in Wisconsin

* 00:05:51 Wisconsin’s 1st District: Mitchell Berman vs. Brian Steil

* 00:07:53 The Congressional Stock Trading Ban Fight

* 00:10:31 Crypto Money and Steil’s Regulatory Role

* 00:12:17 Inside Steil’s “Stop Insider Trading Act” Loopholes

* 00:18:49 Can Democrats Flip the House? Red to Blue and Iowa

* 00:20:44 Wisconsin’s 3rd District: Rebecca Cook vs. Derek Van Orden

* 00:22:30 Pocan on Van Orden’s Controversies

* 00:26:49 Tom Tiffany, the Governor’s Race, and the Wisconsin Delegation

* 00:29:50 What a Democratic House Majority Would Mean

* 00:33:12 Medicaid Cuts and Health Care as the 2028 Issue

* 00:35:56 The Shot at a Democratic Trifecta in Wisconsin

* 00:38:31 Down-Ballot Races: Assembly District 51 and Senate District 17

* 00:41:09 Three Billionaires and Wisconsin Republican Funding

* 00:43:15 Pocan on D.C. Consultants

* 00:44:52 “Democrats Take Billionaire Money Too”: Citizens United and Campaign Finance Reform

* 00:48:44 Final Thoughts: “The Most Important Election of Our Lives”