Paul Ryan is an American politician who served as the 54th Speaker of the United States [[House of Representatives]] and a prominent member of the Republican Party. Born on January 29, 1970, in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan has spent much of his career in politics, rising through the ranks to become a well-respected figure in the [GOP](https://doctorparadox.net/the-gop-is-3-cults-in-a-trenchcoat/). ## Political career After graduating from college, Ryan began his political career by working as a legislative aide for Senator Bob Kasten and later for Senator Sam Brownback. He then moved to a position as a speechwriter for Empower America, a conservative [[think tank]], and as a legislative director for [[Congress]]man Sam Brownback. In 1998, at the age of 28, Ryan ran for and won Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He would go on to be re-elected eight times, serving in the House from January 3, 1999, to January 3, 2019. During his tenure in the House, Ryan was an influential member of the Republican Party, advocating for conservative economic policies and emphasizing fiscal responsibility. He served as the chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 to 2015, where he played a critical role in shaping budget proposals. ## 2012 VP campaign In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate in the U.S. presidential election. Throughout the campaign, the main issues debated included the state of the economy, job creation, healthcare, and tax policies. Obama campaigned on the success of his first term, including the passage of the [[Affordable Care Act (ACA)]] (also known as Obamacare), the auto industry bailout, and the killing of Osama bin Laden. The Romney-Ryan ticket ultimately lost to incumbent President [[Barack Obama]] and Vice President Joe Biden. Obama won re-election with 332 electoral votes to Mitt Romney's 206, securing 51.1% of the popular vote compared to Romney's 47.2%. Obama's victory was attributed to a strong ground game, effective messaging, and a diverse coalition of supporters, including minority voters, women, and younger voters. ## 2015: Speaker of the House Following the resignation of John Boehner, Paul Ryan was elected as the 54th Speaker of the [[House of Representatives]] on October 29, 2015. He was the youngest Speaker since 1869. During his tenure, Ryan was instrumental in pushing major Republican policy initiatives, including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which overhauled the U.S. tax code. Ryan announced in April 2018 that he would not seek re-election and retired from Congress in January 2019.