My Dad, a small-town lawyer, was also named Paul. Until we lost him when I was 16, he was a gentle presence in my life. I like to think he'd be proud of me and my sister and brothers, because I'm sure proud of him and of where I come from, Janesville, Wisconsin.

Ryan voted in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2007. The House passed this Ryan Plan on April 15 2011 by a vote of 235–193. Kemp became Ryan's mentor and Ryan cites him as a "huge influence.

Ryan was officially nominated at the Republican convention in Tampa on August 29 2012. He was born and raised in Janesville Wisconsin and is a graduate of Miami University in Ohio. On November 6 2012 Romney and Ryan were defeated in the general election by the incumbent Barack Obama and Joe Biden although Ryan won reelection to his congressional seat.