Ryan Spaude
Attorney; state representative
Democrat
Ashwaubenon
Elected Experience
Wisconsin State Assembly (2025-present)
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters elect you?
As a prosecutor, I fought to keep our streets safe. As your state representative, I'm fighting to keep more money in your pocket. Over the past two years, I've introduced legislation to lower the cost of groceries, housing, and prescription drugs. I authored bills to curb reckless driving and close loopholes in our drunk driving laws. In addition, I opposed the most recent state budget, which underfunded our public schools and caused property taxes to skyrocket. In these challenging times, we need to keep a steady hand at the wheel. It's been an honor to serve you, and I hope to earn your vote again in November.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
The cost of living remains the top issue in Green Bay and Ashwaubenon. In my first answer, I described the legislation that I've introduced to ease the pain that working families are facing. A few months ago, I also voted to return a significant portion of the state surplus to the taxpayers. I was one of only 10 Democrats who crossed the aisle to do that. I'm an independent leader who's focused on your bottom line.
How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?
Most people believe that when a legislator introduces a bill, it's automatically given a public hearing and voted on. Unfortunately that's not the case in Madison, where Republicans have been running the show for 16 years. Democrats introduced exactly 500 bills this past legislative session. Guess how many were given a hearing? Only 19. That's less than 4%. Meanwhile, Republicans gave 76% of their own bills a hearing. If this sounds like a healthy system of government, you can vote for my opponent. If you believe the Republicans have lost their way, I'd appreciate your support.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
In 1994, Gov. Tommy Thompson signed a bill to make polka the official state dance of Wisconsin. He inked the document at a special ceremony in Pulaski, instead of Madison!
NEW News Lab general election questions
Relevant Experience
Spaude was a criminal prosecutor before he ran for state Assembly in 2024. He was a prosecutor in Brown County District Attorney’s office for about three years, prosecuting drunk drivers and keeping our streets safe. In his first term, his focus has been on getting more money into the pockets of his constituents and keeping streets safe. He has co-sponsored legislation to lower the cost of groceries, housing and prescription drugs. He also has authored bills to curb reckless driving and closed loopholes in drunk driving laws.
Wisconsin has a large budget surplus. What should lawmakers prioritize: tax cuts, increased spending on public services, or something else?
We can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. I support using our budget surplus in a way that helps taxpayers and our public schools. I voted for the deal reached between Gov. Tony Evers and Republicans in the Legislature. I was one of 10 Democrats to vote for the deal, which returned money to taxpayers and also made critical investments in our schools.
What policies are most important to address Wisconsinites’ concerns about cost of living?
Anything to get more money in people’s pockets − anything that will help working families − is a good thing. The very first month on the job, I introduced a set of bills to lower the cost of groceries, housing and prescription drugs. This package of bills never got a hearing, and that’s because Republican leadership blocked it. We need everyone to come to the table, and we need to actually take up common-sense bills that will lower the cost of living.
Housing costs have risen in many Wisconsin communities. What role should state government play in creating more affordable housing?
We have a housing shortage. Specifically, there are not enough units on the market. Here in Green Bay, the increase in short-term rental units where the owner doesn’t live in our community has been a strain on our housing stock. I support legislation that would give municipalities the ability to regulate short-term rentals. This is a top issue in my district and something that I am working hard to address. Because of an old law, the state government prohibits municipalities from zoning short-term rentals. I’m working to fix that.
What policies would best address Wisconsinites’ concerns about property taxes?
When the state government fails to adequately fund our public schools, it forces school districts to go to referendums. What’s a referendum? It’s us voting to increase our own darn property taxes. We need the state government to invest a significant amount of our surplus into funding our public schools. When we do that, we won’t see as many referendums and our property taxes won’t keep going up.
Funding of public education has been an issue and has been tied to property taxes for years. Schools often rely on local referendums for funding staffing, programs and maintenance. What specific changes would you support to the state’s school funding formula and how would you pay for them?
Please see my previous answer.
Should the state direct more funding toward voucher and school-choice programs and what evidence supports your position?
No, public tax dollars should go to public schools. I support sunsetting the statewide voucher program. We need to end the voucher program in a responsible manner. Right now public tax dollars are going to private schools that are not held to the same standards with teachers that are not always trained and that can refuse to accept students with disabilities. We need to make sure public money goes to public purposes. We need to stop sending that money out the door to private, unaccountable organizations. We need to put that money in our public schools.
What steps can the Legislature take to alleviate court backlogs and address the need for more judges, prosecutors and public defenders?
As a former prosecutor, this is a personal issue. Right now in Brown County, we have a significant backlog of cases. I voted for legislation that would have created additional positions for the Brown County Courthouse, for more judges, prosecutors and public defenders. This passed the Assembly but not the state Senate. If I’m reelected, I promise to keep working with state Sen. Jamie Wall to get the job done.
How do you feel about the number of prisons in Wisconsin - should there be more? Less? Why?
Violent criminals belong behind bars. I support efforts to safely close Green Bay Correctional Institute (GBCI) without letting offenders back onto our streets. If somebody is currently confined to GBCI, they should continue serving the rest of their sentence in another state institution.
How significant an issue is climate change? What would you advocate for related to climate change if elected?
Climate change is real. I co-sponsored legislation this past session of the Legislature to rein in carbon emissions. We need to be looking for more renewable energy sources. I’m an “all of the above” advocate when it comes to renewable energy sources.
Wisconsin’s bipartisan support for a PFAS law to hold polluters accountable and the state's lower maximum contaminant levels for drinking water put it out in front nationally on forever-chemical protections. Some say the best way to prevent PFAS contaminations is to outlaw their use, while others hope to reverse the regulations. How important is this issue? What still needs to be addressed? How should remediation costs be raised?
In this past session of the Legislature, I was proud to unlock critical state funding to remedy PFAS in Wisconsin. PFAS is certainly a concern in northeast Wisconsin. While most of my constituents do not rely on well water, I do know many surrounding communities that do. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Legislature who have districts that are most affected by PFAS. I am committed to working with them to address this issue.
What do you think of the implementation process for the new Medicaid work requirements so far in Wisconsin? What has worked? What could be improved?
It’s a crying shame we’re in this position. These new Medicaid work requirements come from the One Big Beautiful Bill that President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans passed last year. Nobody asked for the Big Beautiful Bill. In the Legislature, I voted to allocate additional funding to the Department of Health Services (DHS), so it can implement the new requirement and provide necessary oversight. I wish we weren’t in this situation, but we’re going to get this right and we’re going to make sure Wisconsin doesn’t lose out on any federal money.
What do you think about funding the 988 crisis line long-term at the state level?
I support permanent state funding for the 988 crisis line. It’s a shame we’re in this spot that we still haven’t solved this issue. This is something I think Republicans and Democrats can get behind. We need to fund this permanently in Madison.