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Kelda Roys
Roys in 2013
Member of the Wisconsin State Senate
from the 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 4, 2021
Preceded byFred Risser
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 81st district
In office
January 2009 – January 7, 2013
Preceded byDavid Travis
Succeeded byFred Clark
Personal details
Born (1979-06-24) June 24, 1979 (age 45)
Marshfield, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseDan Reed
Children3
2 step children
EducationNew York University (BA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (JD)
ProfessionAttorney, legislator
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

Kelda Helen Roys (born June 24, 1979) is an American tech entrepreneur, business owner, attorney, and Democratic politician from Madison, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 26th Senate district since 2021. She previously served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, from 2009 to 2013. She was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, and for governor of Wisconsin in 2018.[1]

Early life and education

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Roys was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin, and raised in Medford and Madison. Her mother was a social worker, her stepfather was an environmental lawyer, and her father was a retired prosecutor and law enforcement officer.[2] Roys graduated from Madison East High School in 1997.[3]

Roys attended New York University, where she designed her own major in politics, drama, and cultural studies, and received a B.A., magna cum laude, in 2000.[4][5] In 2004, she received a J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School, focusing on civil rights and international law, and was a participant in the Wisconsin Innocence Project. During and after college, Roys worked full-time as a real estate agent at The Marketing Directors, Inc.[6]

Community involvement

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Roys has served on the boards of Clean Lakes Alliance, TEMPO Madison, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Women's Council, ACLU of Wisconsin, Madison Repertory Theater, Dane County Democratic Party, Sherman Neighborhood Association, Wisconsin Public Interest Law Foundation, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, and the State Bar of Wisconsin's Legal Services Committee.[7]

Political career

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Law and advocacy

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During law school, she worked at the Wisconsin Innocence Project, as well as several international law firms. After law school, she served for four years as the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, where she successfully advocated for passage of the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act.[8] She currently practices real estate law and serves as CEO and Founder of her real estate startup, OpenHomes.[9]

Wisconsin State Assembly

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In 2008, Roys won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 81st Assembly district, filling the seat left vacant by the retirement of David Travis, who had held the seat since 1983. She won a six-way Democratic primary with 30% of the vote and was unopposed in the general election.[10]

After being reelected in 2010, Roys was chosen by her peers to serve as the Democratic Caucus chair in the Assembly. Roys served as vice-chair of the Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, and later served as ranking member on the Committee on Elections and Campaign Finance Reform and the Committee on Consumer Protection & Personal Privacy.

Roys authored numerous pieces of legislation during her time in office, including public breastfeeding protections, additional income tax deductions for families, expanded college savings programs, reproductive health access, expanding health care coverage, increased training and data collection for law enforcement officers, expansion of AODA treatment services and prevention programs, and a successful statewide ban of Bisphenol A, or "BPA."[11] Roys also publicly fought against 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, and had pledged to repeal the law if elected governor.[12]

2012 congressional election

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Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin § District 2

In 2012, when Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Herb Kohl, Roys left her Assembly seat to run for office in the open 2nd Congressional district. She lost to Mark Pocan in a four-candidate Democratic primary.[13]

2018 gubernatorial election

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Main article: 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

On December 11, 2017, Roys formed an exploratory committee to run for governor of Wisconsin.[14]

During the campaign, Roys ran as a progressive, focusing on issues such as a $15 minimum wage, student loan debt forgiveness and engaging with progressive voters.[15] She gained national attention when a campaign ad in which she breastfeeds her infant daughter went viral. The ad drew attention to legislation Roys had supported during her time in the state assembly to ban the use of Bisphenol A in baby bottles, which is used in various plastic products and can linings[16]

Roys won first place by 12 points in the Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention straw poll.[17] In July 2018, the Roys campaign announced that she had raised over $800,000.[18][19] In the primary election, Roys came in third out of the eight candidates, with Tony Evers winning the nomination and going on to defeat Scott Walker.[20]

2020 state senate election

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In March 2020, Fred Risser, the longest-serving legislator in American history, announced he would retire from his seat in the Wisconsin State Senate at the end of the current term.[21] Roys immediately announced her candidacy to run for the vacated seat.[22] The race, in the heavily Democratic region of Dane County, Wisconsin, attracted six other candidates in a crowded Democratic primary, which was also defined by the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin and the protests against institutional racism prompted by the murder of George Floyd. In the August primary, Roys prevailed over her six competitors, winning 40% of the vote. She was unopposed in the November general election, and assumed office in January 2021.[23][24]

Business career

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In 2013, Roys founded a venture-backed real estate tech company, OpenHomes, a virtual real estate agency that helps people buy and sell homes more efficiently and affordably.[25][26][27]

Personal life

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Roys has a husband and three daughters and two step daughters.[28]

She is an atheist and a secular humanist.[29]

References

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  1. ^ Reilly, Briana (August 11, 2020). "Kelda Roys prevails in seven-way Democratic contest for Madison Senate seat". The Cap Times.
  2. ^ Kelda Roys On Gubernatorial Run, Education, Jobs, Foxconn | Here and Now, retrieved 2018-07-12
  3. ^ 2009-2010 Wisconsin Blue Book. State of Wisconsin. p. 73.
  4. ^ "Kelda Helen Roys audio interview". D.C. Everest School District. Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  5. ^ "Law firm biography". Wheeler, Van Sickle and Anderson. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  6. ^ "Kelda Roys". www1.dce.k12.wi.us. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  7. ^ "Kelda Helen Roys". Wisconsin Vote. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  8. ^ "Paula Bezark: Kelda Roys will deliver results in the state Senate". The Capital Times. June 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020.
  9. ^ "Kelda Roys: CEO/Founder". OpenHomes.
  10. ^ Jason Joyce (September 9, 2009). "Kelda Helen Roys wins 81st Assembly District, will replace 30-year incumbent Dave Travis". Isthmus. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  11. ^ "Gubernatorial candidate Kelda Roys breastfeeds in campaign ad". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  12. ^ "Democrats say they would repeal Act 10 if they unseat Gov. Scott Walker". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  13. ^ "Our Campaigns - WI - District 02 - D Primary Race - Aug 14, 2012". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  14. ^ Johnson, Shawn (December 11, 2017). "Former State Rep. Kelda Roys Forms Committee To Run For Governor". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  15. ^ White, Laurel (June 13, 2018). "Kelda Roys' Family Focused Campaign". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  16. ^ Graef, Aileen (March 9, 2018). "Candidate for Wisconsin governor breastfeeds in campaign ad". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "Wisconsin Democrats 'excited,' 'overwhelmed' by broad governor field, Roys wins straw poll". host.madison.com. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Democrat Roys reports raising $800,000 so far". WISC. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  19. ^ Journal, Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State. "Kelda Roys has raised $800,000 since entering governor's race". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  20. ^ DeFour, Matthew (August 14, 2018). "It's Evers: State schools superintendent to challenge Scott Walker in November". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  21. ^ Vetterkind, Riley (March 27, 2020). "Sen. Fred Risser, longest-serving lawmaker in American history, to retire". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  22. ^ "Kelda Roys to Run for State Senate" (PDF). Kelda Roys for State Senate (Press release). March 27, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020 – via The Wheeler Report.
  23. ^ Schmidt, Mitchell (August 11, 2020). "Former Rep. Kelda Roys wins 26th Senate District race". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  24. ^ "Democrats fend off veto-proof Republican majority in state elections". The Daily Cardinal. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  25. ^ "Featured Member/Ambassador for Month – Kelda Roys – Doyenne". Doyenne. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  26. ^ Marc Eisen (August 8, 2013). "Former Rep. Kelda Helen Roys launches online startup OpenHomes". Isthmus. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  27. ^ "About Us - Open Homes". openhomesrealty.com. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  28. ^ Several Staff Collaborating to Report the Single News; Story (March 10, 2018). "Candidate Kelda Roys exemplifies motherhood in campaign video about toxic baby bottles".
  29. ^ Humanist, The (June 14, 2022). "Representation Matters: State Senator Kelda Roys". TheHumanist.com.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kelda Roys.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 81st district
January 2009 – January 7, 2013 		Succeeded by
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 26th district
January 4, 2021 – present 		Incumbent
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