Ryan Matthew Spaude (born March 29, 1994) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from

Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin Ashwaubenon ( ) is a village in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 16,991 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Green Bay, Ashwaubenon is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area a ...

. He 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 89th Assembly district since

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

. He previously worked as an assistant district attorney in

Brown County, Wisconsin Brown County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 268,740, making it the fourth-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Green Bay ...

Early life and career

Ryan Spaude was born in

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

, in March 1994. He was raised by his parents in the town of Little Suamico, Wisconsin and graduated from Oconto Falls High School in 2012. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

in 2016. After graduating from college, he interned for Congressman Reid Ribble (R–Wis.) and worked as a staff assistant for U.S. Senator

Joni Ernst Joni Kay Ernst (née Culver; born July 1, 1970) is an American politician and retired military officer serving since 2015 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Iowa. A member of the ...

(R–Iowa). In the fall of 2017, he went to work as a researcher for

Public Opinion Strategies Neil Newhouse is an American pollster. He is the co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, a political survey and polling firm, and was the lead pollster for the unsuccessful presidential campaigns of both John McCain and Mitt Romney against Barack ...

. In 2019, he returned to school, attending the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison. He earned his J.D. in 2022 and was hired as an assistant district attorney in

. His personal focus was on prosecuting drunk drivers.

Political career

In 2024, the Wisconsin Legislature adopted a new redistricting act which replaced the decade-old Republican gerrymander. The Green Bay area was significantly affected by the changes, and Spaude's home, the politically competitive Green Bay suburb of Ashwaubenon, was moved into a new district—the 89th Assembly district. No incumbent legislator lived within the boundaries of the new 89th Assembly district, and in April 2024, Spaude announced that he would run for the seat as a Democrat. He was unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination, but faced a serious matchup in the general election against Brown County board chair Patrick Buckley. The new 89th Assembly district was projected to be one of the most politically competitive districts in the state and received heavy investment from both parties. Spaude prevailed by 826 votes.

Personal life and family

Ryan Spaude is the son of Scott (a

welder A welder is a person or equipment that fuses materials together. The term welder refers to the operator, the machine is referred to as the welding power supply. The materials to be joined can be metals (such as steel, aluminum, brass, stainles ...

) and Amy Spaude (a

dental hygienist A dental hygienist or oral hygienist is a licensed dental professional, registered with a dental association or regulatory body within their country of practice. Prior to completing clinical and written board examinations, registered dental hygie ...

). He's openly gay, and the fifth generation of his family to live in northeast Wisconsin.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2024)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 5, 2024

References

External links

Representative Ryan Spaude (2025)
at

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

Campaign website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spaude, Ryan Living people People from Oconto County, Wisconsin People from Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin Princeton University alumni University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Wisconsin lawyers Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1994 births