Paul Ryan's venture from southern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., took many twists and turns, but it all began here in his hometown.
Rep. Paul Ryan's parents, Paul and Betty, are shown in an undated photo. The elder Ryan died in August 1986 when Paul was just 16.
Credit: Submitted photo
A Ryan family photo shows Paul Ryan at the age of 5 in 1975.
Credit: Submitted photo
A photo from the 1986-87 Craig High School yearbook shows Paul Ryan, third from left, as class president. Also in the photo are, from left, treasurer Heather Crandall, secretary Sue Wendt and vice president Adam Ryan.
Credit: Submitted photo
A fresh-faced Paul Ryan speaks at a debate with Democratic candidate Lydia Spottswood during his first campaign for the 1st Congressional District seat in Wisconsin in 1998. Ryan won the seat and has held it ever since.
Credit: Gazette files
Rep. Paul Ryan, flanked by his fiancee, Janna Little, announces his candidacy for a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives in Janesville in June 2000.
Credit: Gazette files
Rep. Paul Ryan introduces President George W. Bush to supporters at a campaign appearance at the Janesville Holiday Inn Express in September 2004.
Credit: Gazette files
U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, discusses his stance on social security during a debate with Dr. Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Policy and Research at the Parker High School auditorium in 2005.
Photo By: Gazette file photo
Rep. Paul Ryan addresses a capacity crowd at the Williams Bay Village Hall. Ryan was conducting a listening session discussing healthcare reform.
Photo By: Bill Olmsted
In this Feb. 2, 2010 file photo, the House Budget Committee's ranking Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Crafting an agenda for the fall elections has not been easy for congressional Republicans, who, to solicit ideas, set up a Web site, soon flooded by liberals with distinctly un-Republican suggestions. Meanwhile some Republicans don't even agree that they need a new agenda at all.
Photo By: AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke, File
In this photo taken June 3, 2010, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, 40, speaks during a listening session at Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wis. Ryan, the ranking Republican member on the House Budget committee, is a self-described conservative fascinated with economic issues. That Ryan is so popular here _ a swing district carried by Barack Obama in 2008 _ illustrates why he has emerged as a national GOP star. He has ruled out a presidential bid in 2012, but conservative leaders are already floating him as a top vice presidential pick. He's playing a key role as Republicans try to win back Congress.
Photo By: AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley
A jubilant U.S. Rep Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), left, greets his supporters gathered in the ballroom at the Mariott Hotel, in Racine, Wis. on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. Ryan defeated Democratic challenger John Heckenlively earlier in the evening. Wisconsin Republican State senatorial candidate Van Wanggaard appears on stage to Ryan's left.
Credit: Associated Press
In this April 5, 2011, photo, Republican vice presidential candidate and current House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., introduced his controversial ‘Path to Prosperity’ budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Credit: Associated Press
In this April 5, 2011 photo, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., touts his 2012 federal budget during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The GOP budget expected to go to the full House this week would remake health care programs for the elderly and the poor that have been in place for nearly half a century. Ryan says his approach would “save” Medicare by keeping the financially troubled program affordable for federal taxpayers. But it turns out that people now 54 and younger would pay the price.
Photo By: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Paul Ryan a powerpoint presentation to lay out his plan to eliminate the debt at the Janesville City Hall on Tuesday.
Photo By: Dan Lassiter
Paul Ryan listens to a question about insurance at his lisening session in Janesville on Tuesday.
Photo By: Dan Lassiter
In this April 13, 2011 file photo, House Budget Committee Chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Unlikely as it may seem, President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress actually do share some common ground on the need to curb Medicare costs. Embedded in both the House GOP plan to replace Medicare with a voucher-like system and in Obama's counter-proposal is the idea of putting a limit on the growth of the $500-billion program, and making sure it sticks.
Photo By: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File
Paul Ryan greets parade attendees while walking down Milwaukee Street during the Labor Day parade in Janesville Monday. Ryan and the rest of his staff were met with mixed reactions of cheers and jeers, with some, like John Macek, bringing anti-Ryan signs.
Photo By: Lukas Keapproth
Representative Paul Ryan handles questions from a crowd of about 200 at the Pontiac Convention Center during one of his listening session.
Photo By: Dan Lassiter
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., declares that he was "disappointed" in President Obama's speech on a federal spending plan, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 13, 2011. He is flanked by Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., left, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, right.
Credit: Associated Press
In this Dec. 7, 2011 file photo, House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Baby boomers take note: Medicare as your parents have known it is headed for big changes no matter who wins the White House in 2012. You may not like it, but you might have to accept it. Dial down the partisan rhetoric and surprising similarities emerge from competing policy prescriptions by President Barack Obama and leading Republicans such as Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.
Photo By: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File
The Ryan family sent out this picture for their 2011 Christmas card. Paul and Janna pose with Liza, Charlie and Sam.
Credit: Submitted photo
Paul Kurtz of Janesville hoists a 'Paul Ryan for VP' sign at the end of Rick Santorum’s speech at the Armory on Tuesday. Santorum, seeking the Republican presidential nomination, said Ryan is someone any candidate should consider for a running mate.
Photo By: Dan Lassiter
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Chairman of the House Budget Committee, right, addresses an audience as Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, looks on during a Romney campaign event at an oil company in Milwaukee, Monday, April 2, 2012.
Photo By: AP Photo/Steven Senne
In this Feb. 17, 2012, file photo House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, walk towards the House floor for the final vote on the payroll tax cut extension on Capitol Hill. Democrats and Republicans are forcing votes in Congress this week of April 2012 on competing tax plans that they know are doomed from the start. But little does that matter to either party.
Photo By: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. greets people during a campaign event for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, at a Cousins Subs fast food restaurant, in Waukesha, Wis., Tuesday, April 3, 2012.
Credit: Associated Press
Rep Paul Ryan speaks to the audience at his Janesville listening session on Friday.
Photo By: Bill Olmsted
U.S. Representative Paul Ryan address people that turned out for his Janesville listening session on Friday.
Photo By: Bill Olmsted
In this May 22, 2012 file photo, House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. There are plenty of reasons for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to choose Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as a running mate. The whip-smart congressman is from a battleground state. He’s the GOP’s leading voice on the nation’s budget and is the rare member of the Republican establishment who’s loved by the tea party.
Photo By: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File
In this June 2, 2012 photo, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., right, speaks with Wis. Rep. Dave Craig, left, and Rep. Robin Vos at a rally held by the Racine Tea Party PAC in Gorney Park in Caledonia, near Racine, Wis.There are plenty of reasons for Mitt Romney to pop the question to Paul Ryan: The whip smart congressman is from a swing state, stands as his party’s leading voice on the nation’s budget and is the rare member of the GOP establishment who is also beloved by the tea party.
Photo By: AP Photo/Mark Hertzberg
Mitt Romney stands with Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker at a campaign stop at Monterey Mills in Janesville.
Photo By: Terry Mayer
Left to right: Republican National Chair Reince Priebus, Congressman Paul Ryan, candidate Mitt Romney and Wi Governor Scott Walker shared the stage for a few moments at a Romney campaign stop in Janesville.
Photo By: Bill Olmsted
House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 10, 2012, as the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling that the individual mandate in the "Affordable Care Act" is constitutional, particularly as it relates to Congress' authority to lay and collect new taxes.
