Getty Congressman Tim Ryan visits the Iowa State Fair with his wife, Andrea, and son, Brady, on August 10, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Andrea Zetts is married to Congressman Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Ohio. He has been serving in Congress since 2003 and currently represents the Buckeye state’s 13th district. He ran for Ohio’s open Senate seat against Republican J.D. Vance in the 2022 midterms but lost.
Ryan’s wife, Andrea, is a big supporter of her husband’s political ambitions. Though she does not often give interviews, she is often seen by his side with their children, Mason, Bella and Brady, at public events. Read more about the whole Ryan family here.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Zetts Was Introduced to Ryan in 2008 By Her Brother-in-Law
GettyU.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), his wife Andrea Zetts and his son Brady at the Iowa State Fair on August 10, 2019.
Andrea Zetts and Tim Ryan both hail from eastern Ohio. He grew up in Niles and she is from Struthers, a town about 16 miles away.
The couple was featured in a January 2014 article in the Business Journal, a local newspaper devoted to covering Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in eastern Ohio. The interview was conducted about 9 months after their wedding.
Zetts and Ryan revealed that they met in 2008, the same year that Tim attended his first mindfulness retreat and started doing yoga. They were introduced by her brother-in-law.
In 2012, Ryan published his book, “A Mindful Nation.” He credited his “friend” Andrea Zetts and her two children for helping him on his personal journey. He wrote in part, “I want to thank Andrea for giving me the space, support, and encouragement needed to write this. And to Mason and Bella for all the joy and laughs they gave me and the lessons they taught me. They are lovely young people and a major inspiration for this book.”
Zetts further explained to the newspaper, “Having the kids incorporated in his life changed his perspective on mindfulness. Tim grew and learned about the social-emotional learning perspective from a parental perspective as opposed to a political perspective.”
2. Zetts Married Ryan in a Private Ceremony in New York City in April 2013
It was the second marriage for both Ryan and Zetts when they chose to tie the knot. They decided to forgo a big wedding in favor of a private ceremony in New York City in April 2013.
A spokesperson for the congressman told the media at the time that the couple took a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park following the ceremony. They then enjoyed a quiet dinner.
Rep. Ryan was 39 years old at the time and Andrea had just turned 37. (Her birthday is April 10, 1976).
3. Zetts Had 2 Children From Her Previous Marriage; She & Ryan Welcomed a Baby Boy in 2014
Zetts has two children from her first marriage, Mason and Bella. Tim Ryan has a strong relationship with his two stepchildren. He told the Business Journal in 2013, “I love my stepkids like they’re my own.”
Mason and Bella are now both adults. Mason graduated from high school in 2021 and Bella in 2022, as Ryan noted in celebratory posts on his official Facebook page. In April 2022, the two teens were featured in a short campaign video about voting for the first time during the primary election and they urged others to make plans to vote.
The couple added to their family on June 12, 2014, when their baby boy was born. Roll Call reported at the time that Brady Zetts Ryan was 19.5 inches long, 6 pounds 12 ounces. As of this writing, Brady is now 8 and featured prominently in his father’s Senate campaign video.
4. Zetts Is an Elementary School Teacher
GettyU.S. Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) poses for pictures with supporters in the Ohio primary election at the Trumbull Country Board of Elections on April 18, 2022 in Warren, Ohio.
Zetts has been a licensed teacher since 1999, according to the Ohio Department of Education. She works in the Weathersfield Local School district.
According to the district website, she teaches first grade at Seaborn Elementary School.
The district is located in Mineral Ridge, a census-designated place that is part of the Youngstown metropolitan area in eastern Ohio about 65 miles away from Cleveland.
5. Zetts Was Originally From Struthers, Ohio & Is Raising Her Family About 20 Miles Away From Her Hometown
When they got married in 2013, Ryan’s spokesperson said that Zetts grew up in Struthers, Ohio. It’s a city of about 10,000 people in Mahoning County, near the border with Pennsylvania. It’s unclear what her political affiliation was before marrying Ryan, a Democrat.
Interestingly, Mahoning County was the only county in that part of the state that President Trump did not win in 2016. Hillary Clinton earned 49.5 percent of the vote compared to his 46.2 percent. You can see the full Ohio electoral map from the 2016 election here. You’ll see that outside of the Cleveland-Akron metropolitan area, it is a sea of red.
She and Tim Ryan are raising their kids in Howland Township, as he noted on his campaign website. The township is about 20 miles north of Struthers in Trumbull County.
READ NEXT: Learn More About Tim Ryan’s Family Here