Dave Craig

Craig was born in Waukesha on March 16, 1979. He graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran High School in 1997. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, earning his Bachelor of Arts from the latter in 2002.[1]

Craig worked for more than eight years as a congressional aide to U.S. Representative Paul Ryan Republican out of Ryan's Kenosha office; he was also on the Big Bend village board of trustees from 2008 to 2010.[2]

Craig was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a special election held in May 2011[1] to fill the seat vacated by Scott Gunderson, who had resigned to work as an executive assistant at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.[2][3] The district spanned parts of Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth counties.[3] In announcing his run for office, Craig expressed strong support for Governor Scott Walker and his economic policies.[2] Craig was endorsed by Ryan and Muskego mayor John Johnson.[2] Craig was reelected to the Assembly in 2012 and 2014.[1] While in the Assembly, Craig was chairs of the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions and vice chair of the Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations.[4]

Craig was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2016,[1] in an uncontested race.[5] In 2017, Craig was the lone Republican senator to vote against the state budget bill, believing that the budget was too high.[6]

Craig considered running to succeed Ryan as a member of Congress from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in 2018, but ultimately declined to run.[7]

Craig is married and has six children.[1]