Renuka Mayadev (born 1974) is an American nonprofit executive and Democratic politician from

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

. She is a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

, representing Wisconsin's 77th Assembly district since January 2025. She also currently serves as a program advisor for the

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) is a professional school for the study of medicine and public health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It is one of only two medical schools in Wisconsin, along wit ...

. Originally from Ohio, she served as a policy advisor to Ohio governor

Ted Strickland Theodore Strickland (born August 4, 1941) is an American politician who served as the 68th governor of Ohio from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ( ...

from 2008 to 2011.

Early life and career

Mayadev was born in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

in 1974. She attended public schools in Columbus. Mayadev later attended

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

, majoring in economics. She later attended

Georgetown University Law Center Georgetown University Law Center is the Law school in the United States, law school of Georgetown University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law ...

, where she got her degree. After completing her education, Mayadev served in the office of Ohio Governor

, where she was a policy advisor on juvenile justice, public safety, and workers' compensation, among other issues. Later she entered the private sector, working as an executive for the nonprofit

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...

- Central Ohio. She also served as the Executive Director for the Children's Defense Fund - Ohio for six years. During her time at the Children's Defense Fund, Mayadev worked with civil rights activist

Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman ( Wright; born June 6, 1939) is an American activist for civil rights and children's rights. She is the founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund. She influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, an ...

. Since 2021, Mayadev has served on the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association Board of Directors.

Wisconsin State Assembly

Following the 2024 redistricting which ended the 2011 gerrymander in Wisconsin, the 77th district's boundaries were altered, moving to encompass almost the entirety of the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

campus and its surrounding residential areas. The district's representative,

Shelia Stubbs Shelia Renee Stubbs ( Hoskins; born February 22, 1971) is an American pastor, former probation and parole agent, and Democratic politician from Madison, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the south sid ...

, was moved into a neighboring district. As a result, the 77th district was left open and Mayadev was one of three Democrats who ran for the Democratic nomination, with the other two being pharmacist Thad Schumacher and County Board Supervisor Chuck Erickson. In the primary, Mayadev had been endorsed by several prominent Democrats, including former governor Jim Doyle and state senator Kelda Roys and went on to defeat her two opponents with 48% of the vote. As no Republican candidates filed to run, Mayadev did not face a candidate in the November general election and took office in January 2025.

Personal life

Mayadev lives in Madison with her husband and two children. Her husband, Daniel Tokaji, is the Dean of the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Public university, public research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1868, the school is guided by a ...

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2024)

References

External links

Campaign website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayadev, Renuka 1974 births Living people American people of Indian descent People from Columbus, Ohio Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin Northwestern University alumni Georgetown University Law Center alumni University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health alumni Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Women state legislators in Wisconsin 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature