John Donald Medinger was born in La Crosse on April 26, 1948, the third of Donald and Audrey Medinger's eight children. Donald Medinger ran a service station in La Crosse and was involved in local politics, serving for 22 years on the La Crosse City Common Council and 13 years on the La Crosse County Board. John grew up in La Crosse and graduated from Thomas Aquinas High School and from UW-La Crosse in 1970 from which he earned a degree in political science and history. In 1972 he received an M.A. in education. Prior to his election to the Assembly, Medinger held several jobs including teacher, service station operator, bus driver, bartender, construction worker, grocery clerk, and VISTA volunteer.
Medinger became involved with the La Crosse area politics at an early age. At age eighteen he was a go-fer during Walter Mondale's visit to La Crosse. In 1976 he became a candidate for elective office, defeating Charles Whaley, Jr. for the 95th District Assembly seat which included portions of La Crosse and its surrounding villages. Medinger went on to serve sixteen years in the Assembly. While in the Legislature, he served on and chaired numerous committees and commissions including State Affairs, Agriculture, Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Children and Human Services, and special committees on the future of the University System, regulation of gambling and alcohol, and pregnancy options. Medinger was also elected assistant majority leader in 1985. A full list of Medinger's committee assignments is contained in biennial issues of the Wisconsin Blue Book.
In addition to his duties in the Assembly, Medinger was heavily involved in La Crosse area organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, Eagles, Moose, La Crosse County Historical Society, and La Crosse County Democratic Party. Other affiliations reflecting Medinger's personal interests and areas of concern included membership in the NAACP, Viterbo College Board of Advisors, St. Francis Hospital Board of Advisors, Knights of Columbus, Wisconsin Citizens Concerned for Life, Bread for the World, La Crosse Association for Retarded Citizens, Sons of the American Legion, Coulee Council on Alcoholism, Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the Shelby Mutual Aid and Benevolent Society.
In 1992 Medinger chose not to seek reelection in order to spend more time with his family, which by that time included two African-American children. Medinger did not leave state politics altogether however, working as the Western Wisconsin Regional Coordinator for U.S. Senator Russell Feingold's 1992 campaign. In 1997 Medinger successfully ran for mayor of La Crosse, winning by a 2-to-1 margin. At the time his Assembly papers were arranged and described in 1998 Medinger was still in office.
