If there’s anything liberals have done over the past few months, it’s complain they don’t have good enough candidates. Boo- hoo, Russ won’t run. Falk panders to unions. A race with Barrett is just a re-do. Vinehout who? And the state Senate recalls are a veritable who’s who of obscure lawmakers. And, as found by a recent poll in the Daily Kos, they all seem to be tied up anyway. Don’t get me wrong, the outcomes of these elections will hold the key to who controls our state over the next few years. It’s just that Wisconsin liberals are headed into the polls as if they are already up shit creek.

Although the Democratic field may be wide yet barren, there is one glimmer of hope: The seat held by Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who is looking to replace Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., in Washington this November. Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district has attracted not only the area’s progressive superstars, but also a fresh new face as well. I wish I could go back in time and give all of the candidates for District 2 this message: Divide and conquer. If each legislator had run for a different office, they might all have been elected. Unfortunately, four capable politicians are all vying for the same seat, which will be to the detriment of constituents.

First, there’s Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison. A long-time proponent of women’s rights, Pocan was instrumental in passing the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act. Not only does Pocan fight for women’s health, he has also expanded health care for other marginalized groups within the health care system. Along with Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, and the finance committee, Pocan worked, as The Badger Herald reports, ” [to] expand health care to 98 percent of the people in the state,” Pocan further said, “Every single child in Wisconsin and childless adults got benefits, and because of that, we are either number one or two in the entire country for access.”

Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, is also a strong contender, especially considering her stances on health care. Like Pocan, she is a proponent of women’s health, being one of the most vocal opponents of Republicans’ move to limit women’s access to birth control, according to WisPolitics. She has also done commendable work as part of the assembly committees on aging and long-term care and health and health care reform, as noted by her website.

Then there’s Dane County Treasurer Dave Worzala, who could be an asset while Wisconsin faces a tough budgetary climate. Ever the pragmatist, Worzala’s website states that he wants to focus on jobs, taxes and the economy.

Finally, there’s congress hopeful, Iraq war veteran and UW grad Matt Silverman. Although we do not know much about this newcomer yet, he has already garnered the support of his opponent, Roys. That speaks volumes to the character of the newly minted politician, who focuses on the “broken” nature of Washington politics and also only accepts money from individual donations.

For Wisconsin liberals, candidates for governor and state Senate are disappointing. But what’s even more disappointing is the fact that all the good candidates are trying for congressional District 2. It’s a bittersweet situation because although we’re sure to get a good representative out of the election, it also means three other good representatives will be out of Wisconsin politics for the next term. To borrow a concept from John Forbes Nash, the candidates for congress should have analyzed their outcomes and hedged their bets for continued political success and for the benefit of their constituents.

Taylor Nye ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in Latin American studies, archaeology and human evolutionary biology.

An earlier version of this column stated that Worzala did not fundraise. This is incorrect and has been changed accordingly.