Paul D. Melotik (born February 27, 1957) is an American accountant, businessman, and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from

Ozaukee County, Wisconsin Ozaukee County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,503. Its county seat is Port Washington, making it one of three Wisconsin counties on Lake Michigan not to have a county seat with the same ...

. He is a member-elect of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, having won a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...

in the 24th Assembly district on July 18, 2023. Melotik also serves on the Ozaukee County board of supervisors, representing most of the town of Grafton, and is a member of the Grafton town board.

Life and career

Melotik was born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, and graduated from

Nathan Hale High School Nathan Hale High School may refer to: * Nathan Hale High School (Oklahoma), United States * Nathan Hale High School (Washington), United States * Nathan Hale High School (Wisconsin), United States * Nathan Hale-Ray High School, Connecticut ...

West Allis, Wisconsin West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 60,325 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Histo ...

. He went on to attend

Carroll University Carroll University is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Established in 1846, Carroll was Wisconsin's first four-year institution of higher learning. History Prior to its esta ...

, in

Waukesha, Wisconsin Waukesha ( ) is the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha. History The area that ...

, where he earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in accounting and business management in 1979. He worked for several years as an accountant for Wisconsin Electric and then went into the bar and restaurant business. He is now co-owner of Flannery's Bar & Restaurant at the Fire Ridge Golf Course in Grafton. Melotik previously operated another Flannery's Bar location in Milwaukee, which has since closed. During that time he was also president of Water Street Tavern and Restaurant Association. Melotik made his first run for state office in 2002, when he ran for

in what was then the 60th Assembly district, but he lost in the Republican

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to Mark Gottlieb. Melotik remained involved in politics after his loss. He was elected to the Ozaukee County board of supervisors in 2012, and was then elected to the town board of Grafton in 2017. By 2023, the Grafton area—due to

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...

—had moved from the 60th Assembly district to the 24th Assembly district. That year, the incumbent state representative,

Dan Knodl Dan Knodl (December 14, 1958) is an American politician, currently serving as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Early life and education Born in Milwaukee, Knodl was raised in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and graduated from Menomonee Fa ...

, was elected to the

Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

and therefore vacated his seat in the Assembly. Melotik announced his campaign to succeed Knodl in the 24th Assembly district and did not face any opposition for the Republican nomination. He went on to defeat the Democratic nominee, Bob Tatterson, in the July 2023 special election, winning 53 percent of the vote. Shortly after winning his seat in the Assembly, Melotik announced he would step down from the Grafton town board but would remain some time longer on the Ozaukee County board, though he also stated he would not seek re-election to the county board and may resign before the end of that term. Describing unfinished business on the county board, Melotik said he wanted to be involved in discussions of how to spend remaining money from the

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan, is a economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to sp ...

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2002)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Republican Primary, September 10, 2002

Wisconsin Assembly (2023)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Special Election, July 18, 2023

References

Living people 1957 births Carroll University alumni Politicians from Milwaukee People from Grafton, Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly American accountants 21st-century American politicians {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Republican-stub