Mike Bare

Michael Andrew "Mike" Bare (born March 1983) is an American policy analyst and Democratic politician from Verona, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 80th Assembly district since 2023. He previously served as a member of the Dane County board of supervisors and, earlier in his career, served as a legislative aide to United States senator Russ Feingold.

Biography Mike Bare was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He graduated from Manitowoc's Lincoln High School in 2001 and went on to attend American University in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor's degree from American in 2006 and went on to earn his master's degree in 2010.

Since 2013, he has been employed as research director and program coordinator for Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. The institute deals with researching existing and proposed legislation and designing model policy for alleviating and preventing poverty. Bare played a significant role in his organization's recommendations for Affordable Care Act implementation in Wisconsin.

In 2016, he was a partner in a bid to construct and maintain a German-style beer garden in Madison's Olbrich Park. Their proposal was ultimately approved, and Bare is now co-owner of the Olbrich biergarten. He was re-elected without opposition in 2022.

Just after the Spring 2022 election, incumbent state representative Sondy Pope announced she would retire after 20 years in the Assembly. Bare announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination and faced four opponents in the primary in the heavily democratic 80th Assembly district. Despite Pope endorsing Verona attorney and city councilmember Chad Kemp, Bare went on to win the primary with nearly 48% of the vote. He easily prevailed in the general election over Verona Republican Jacob Luginbuhl. He was sworn in at the start of the 106th Wisconsin Legislature.

Personal life and family Mike Bare is married to Madison attorney Tristan Breedlove, a public defender and a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. They have two young children and reside in Verona, Wisconsin.