Ryan Spaude did not sneak into the Wisconsin Assembly. He sold himself in one of the swingiest districts under the new legislative maps. Assembly District 89 covers Ashwaubenon and the west side of Green Bay. It was open, competitive, and very expensive. Spaude, a former Brown County assistant district attorney who focused on drunk drivers, leaned on that resume. He also reminded people he used to be a Republican and the pitch worked. In 2024 he beat Brown County Board chair Patrick Buckley by 826 votes, 51.3 percent to 48.5 percent. A true toss-up. The kind of race where moderate packaging matters.
Not long after the oath of office, the moderate act faded. Floor speeches from the Ashwaubenon Democrat sometimes landed harder and more aggressively than the district’s narrow margin would suggest. He voted against the 2025-27 state budget, which passed the Assembly 59-39. That budget included $20 million for Port of Green Bay expansion tied to relocating the long-standing downtown coal piles, part of nearly $41 million in state support for the project over seven years. Some Democrats from safer seats found a way to yes. Spaude found a way to no. Later he posted photos from a hard-hat tour as crews moved the piles, writing that work was underway to move them out of downtown Green Bay. The funding he opposed helped make the tour possible.
The pattern continued on other key votes. He voted no on Assembly Bill 87, which required immediate restitution for victims after human trafficking convictions, including child trafficking. The Assembly passed it 53-44. A former prosecutor opposing a bill that makes traffickers pay their victims promptly is certainly a choice. He also voted no on Assembly Bill 24, which required county sheriffs to verify citizenship status for people jailed on felony charges and notify federal authorities. Party-line no from the man who once prosecuted cases in Brown County.
When reelection season arrived, the props came out. Spaude has campaigned on bills he introduced after the Assembly finished its regular floor work. AB 1162 on utility measures for large customers was introduced March 19. AB 1158 to raise the minimum wage and AB 1131 on OWI loopholes were introduced March 13 knowing full well that there would be no chance for a vote. In short, token bills to be paraded as props. They were mere printed documents for campaign ads. One video featured the paperwork with the claim that he is standing up against billionaires making life unaffordable. Voters can decide whether late introductions that never had a chance are accomplishments.
He has also worked the moderate image elsewhere. An ad filmed at Kroll’s East aims to look like the hometown kid near Lambeau. He continues to highlight his prosecutor background and at least one token police officer as evidence he is law enforcement’s choice. One retired cop does not make a record. Especially when the voting record includes no votes on trafficking restitution and sheriff detainer cooperation, plus a budget no that skipped additional assistant district attorney positions for Brown County’s backlog.
Bobby Lindsey is running against him. Lindsey is a Marine Corps veteran who served from 1985 to 1989, then spent 25 years in active-duty law enforcement before retiring in 2015. He has trained officers and taught criminal justice. He recently received the endorsement of the Brown County Sheriff.
Spaude’s biggest original advantage was institutional experience as a prosecutor. In a swing district, that carries weight. Voters see it as evidence of seriousness on public safety. Lindsey’s record as a Marine and career law enforcement officer, combined with Spaude’s own votes, undercuts the comparison. The “moderate” label is now a campaign slogan rather than a governing record. In a year when national conditions are supposed to make things difficult for Republicans, AD-89 remains one of the clearest opportunities to flip a seat back.
