Wisconsin doctor who filed suit to protect access to abortion joins congressional race
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A doctor who performs abortions became the first Democratic candidate in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District on Thursday, joining the Dr. Kristin Lyerly, a doctor who performs abortions, has entered the race for the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher. She is the first female Democrat to run in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, following Gallagher's unexpected resignation. No special elections will be held due to the timing of Gallagher's departure. Lyerley is currently unopposed in the Democratic primary, which will be decided on August 13. Two Republicans are currently running and a third is expected to enter the race next week. The district is currently heavily Republican, but Democrats have promised to make it competitive.
Published : 4 weeks ago by The Bharat Express News in Politics
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A doctor who performs abortions became the first Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District on Thursday, joining the race for the seat opened by the surprise retirement of Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher.
Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an obstetrician and gynecologist, launched her candidacy two weeks before Gallagher’s expected departure date. Due to the timing of his resignation, there will be no special elections.
For now, Lyerly is unopposed in the Democratic primary that will be decided on August 13. The Democrats have not fielded a candidate in the 2022 elections.
Two Republicans, state Sen. Andre Jacque and former state Sen. Roger Roth, are running and a third is expected to enter the race next week. Republican consultant Alex Bruesewitz planned to make an announcement Monday. Bruesewitz, 26, was born in Wisconsin but currently lives in Florida. He would have to move back to Wisconsin to run for the seat.
Lyerly made clear she would make abortion a central issue in the race.
Lyerly was one of the plaintiffs in a Wisconsin lawsuit that succeeded in keeping abortions legal after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She performed abortions throughout Wisconsin, but temporarily moved her practice to Minnesota after the Supreme Court ruling.
“As a gynecologist, I have been attacked firsthand by MAGA extremists who target a woman’s right to make her own health choices,” Lyerly said in a statement. “I will work tirelessly to ensure that every woman in our state has access to reproductive care, including safe and legal abortions, essential services like maternity care and mental health support.”
The executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life criticized Lyerly’s entry into the race, saying, “Wisconsin needs elected officials who will protect all life.”
Gallagher was elected four times to serve northeastern Wisconsin. His early departure gives Republicans a 217-213 majority in the House of Representatives, meaning they cannot afford to lose more than one vote on a party-line vote.
Gallagher came into conflict with former President Donald Trump and his supporters. He also angered fellow Republicans last month by refusing to oust Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Jacque, Roth and Bruesewitz are all Trump supporters and anti-abortion.
The district is solidly Republican, but Democrats have promised to make it competitive.
Trump won the district by 16 percentage points in 2020, even though he lost the state to President Joe Biden by less than a point. Gallagher won re-election three times by as much as 25 points. The district includes the cities of Appleton and Green Bay, Door County and covers primarily rural areas north of Marinette.
Topics: Social Issues, Abortion