Personal History
Born and raised in La Crosse, Ron grew up along the Missisippi River with his two brothers and sister, and his parents Greta and Elroy. From early on, his parents taught Ron the western Wisconsin values of hard work and common sense - values he has carried with him to Washington.
Ron spent his summers in high school helping his aunt and uncle on their family dairy farm in northeastern Wisconsin. He worked hard in school and was a standout student and athlete at La Crosse Logan as the football team's record-breaking quarterback and a point guard on the basketball team. Ron's hard work paid off when he earned an academic scholarship to Harvard University, where he also played quarterback.
During the summers in college, Ron traded the dairy farm for Capitol Hill, where he worked for the late Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire. There Ron helped investigate wasteful spending of taxpayer money, which provided the basis for some of the Senator's famous "Golden Fleece" awards -- and greatly influenced Ron's fiscally responsible record in Congress. Ron graduated with honors from Harvard in 1985, and later went on to receive his Master's Degree from the London School of Economics and his law degree from the University of Minnesota.
After two years working as an attorney in Milwaukee, Ron came back home to La Crosse to a position as a Special Prosecutor for La Crosse County. There he earned a reputation for his being tough and effective in cases involving adult and child sexual assaults, child abuse, domestic abuse and white collar crime. It was also in the courtroom that Ron met his wife Tawni, who still works as an official court reporter the county court system.
It is with Tawni, and their two young boys, Johnny (11) and Matthew (9), that Ron most enjoys spending his time, especially outdoors - be it on their farmland in Jackson County, on the shores of the Mississippi, in a deer stand or a duck blind. Through his love of hunting, fishing, and camping Ron developed his unwavering commitment to protecting our natural resources and wildlife habitat - and he hopes to raise the next generation of conservationists in Johnny and Matthew.
Ron's dedication to public service and his deep appreciation for the hardworking people of western Wisconsin inspired him to run for Congress in 1995. Ron took his western Wisconsin values to Washington as the U.S. Representative to the Third Congressional District in January 1996.
After twelve years, the job is still a weekly commute for Ron, who lives on French Island in La Crosse with Tawni, Johnny, and Matthew.
Campaign Spotlight
Kind Communities Service Projects
Throughout my life and work, I'm constantly reminded of the importance of giving back to your community. Therefore, I am asking you to join us as we work to turn out volunteers to the many important public service efforts that are going on around us every day.Please click the link below to get involved, suggest future projects, and learn more about the Western Wisconsin organizations that we're working with.
Thank you and please help us keep our communities healthy and strong!
Sowing the Seeds of Reform
In 2007, Ron Kind took on powerful and entrenched special interests in an effort to reform our farm and food policies to be more equitable for family farmers and for taxpayers.
Check out why the New York Times called Ron a "crusader."
Read More about Ron.
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