- Dr. Kristin Lyerly, a potential candidate in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, shares her journey into politics, driven by firsthand experiences witnessing politicians' influence on personal medical decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- As a proud Democrat, Dr. Lyerly navigates the complexities of the district, considering the impact of running for Congress versus maintaining her medical practice.
- With a focus on healthcare and exposing incumbent Mike Gallagher's record, Dr. Lyerly emphasizes her commitment to patient care and proposes solutions to address healthcare disparities in Northeast Wisconsin.
Last week, we introduced you to a panel of women eyeing Congressman Mike Gallagher's seat in the upcoming election. Tonight, we delve deeper into one of those contenders – Dr. Kristin Lyerly – to understand her motivations, vision, and potential impact on Northeast Wisconsin politics.
In a candid conversation, Dr. Lyerly, from De Pere revealed her journey into politics,
"As a physician, I've witnessed firsthand the repercussions of politicians influencing personal medical decisions," Dr. Lyerly expressed. "This moral injury inflicted on our patients inspired me to enter the political realm and fight it on that level."
Dr. Lyerly, who says she is a proud Democrat, acknowledges the multifaceted nature of the district, highlighting her conflict between running for Congress and maintaining her medical practice.
“It’s not just the 8th congressional district. So that's the federal seat. But there are a number of seats within that our state legislative seats as well. And to be very honest with you, Nina, I haven't made a decision about what I'm going to run for. Because there are eight if I ran for Congress, I can't practice as a physician. If I run for state legislature, I can. But there are different levels of participation and different things that you can achieve,” she says.
The 54-year-old unveils her stance on abortion and her strategy to expose Gallagher, saying he is not the moderate he claims to be.
“I am all about taking care of my patients. There is no room for politicians in our exam rooms. There is no room for politicians mandating what our personal health care decisions should be the talk of a national abortion ban is something that Mike Gallagher has, frankly supported, he has supported the Life Begins at Conception Act he has supported actually he sponsored that he has supported a six-week abortion ban," she adds.
When asked how she can sway voters in Northeast Wisconsin, Dr Lyerly says, “That is all part of our holistic strategy is exposing Mike Gallagher for who He really is. Many people think that he is a moderate he is not a moderate. He three times voted to close the government down to leave our active duty veterans stranded to leave people to leave Wisconsinites with people all over the country without the governmental functions that this government provides three times he voted to keep George Santos in office George Santos, he is unapologetically pro-life, he is out of step with the with Wisconsinites in general with people across the country. So once we expose Mike Gallagher for who he is, and we give him a legitimate contender, he hasn't had a well-supported opponent ever."
When asked how Dr. Lyerly can use her role as an obstetrician/gynecologist to make healthcare better for people in Northeast Wisconsin she says, “As an obstetrician-gynecologist, I can tell you that we don't have enough doctors in rural parts of the state,” says Dr. Lyerly. “Women are having to travel not just to deliver their babies, but just to receive health care,” she adds. “As a representative, I can get to the heart of that problem, because I know I'm there in the hospital with my patients with the nurses, with the administrators. We've got to find solutions, not just band-aids, but true solutions to solve this healthcare crisis.”
