http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/kristin-lyerly-md-commitment-s450.jpgDr. Lyerly Vows to Work Across the Aisle to Rein in Inflation and High Cost of Living, Make Healthcare More Affordable, and Protect Reproductive Rights.

Green Bay, WI – Joined by family members, dozens of community leaders, and citizens, Dr. Kristin Lyerly today announced her candidacy for Wisconsin’s 8th congressional district open-seat race to replace retiring member Rep. Mike Gallagher.

Dr. Lyerly vowed to work with Democrats and Republicans, to lead the fight to rein in inflation and cost-of-living, make healthcare more accessible and affordable, protect and expand women’s reproductive rights, including access to IVF and birth control, and always put the interests of families across the district ahead of special interests.

“As an OB/GYN, I have been attacked first hand by MAGA extremists targeting a woman’s right to make her own health choices. In my practice I have confronted the challenges women face in their ability to access medically necessary healthcare; women suffering from complicated pregnancies, battling sepsis, coping with worsening hypertension and other life-threatening conditions. 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,” said Dr. Lyerly. If elected, Dr. Lyerly would become one of the first OB/GYNs in favor of abortion rights to serve in Congress.

“As a physician, I know what it’s like to deal with the bureaucracy in the healthcare system and the tough choices patients and families have to make every day,” continued Dr. Lyerly. “Healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a privilege reserved for the few.  I will work tirelessly to ensure that every person in our district has access to affordable and meaningful healthcare. I’ve always advocated for my patients and will be in an even better position to continue that fight for all of our district's residents when I’m elected to Congress.”

“As a mother to four boys, I know middle class families across the district are struggling to meet the rising cost of groceries, health care, and housing. While we’ve seen job growth, we’ve got to make sure our economy works for all of us, and that starts with tackling inflation, and reining-in the soaring cost of living. I will work across the aisle to get that done.”

“I applaud Congressman Gallagher for leading the Select Committee on the CCP, and his bi-partisan work to help build consensus around the threats and challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the American people, our economy, and our values. If elected to Congress, I’ll take on that fight to protect our national interests by making sure we invest in programs and technologies that will ensure America maintains its competitive edge."

About Dr. Kristin Lyerly:

Dr. Kristin Lyerly is a sixth-generation Wisconsinite, OB/GYN physician, and champion for women and families running to be the first woman elected to Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District.

Kristin’s family has deep roots in dairy farming and the paper industry, and she learned from a young age how to show up for her community. She was a young mother when she entered medical school at the University of Wisconsin, relying on the help of neighbors and friends to balance the demands of home, work, and school. During her training, she received multiple awards for exemplary performance, teaching, and clinical practice.

By the time she graduated with her M.D. and a Master’s in Public Health, Kristin had four kids under the age of 10. Despite being told that obstetrics and gynecology could be a difficult field for someone with a busy home life, Kristin was called to care for women and their families.

Kristin developed a career serving as an OB/GYN physician practicing in Green Bay, Oconto, Marinette, and later Sheboygan. Kristin also regularly travels hundreds of miles to provide a wide range of health care services to rural and underrepresented communities in Minnesota and Arizona.

When the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away women’s access to abortion, Kristin stood up and fought back. She was the named plaintiff in the case that brought abortion care back to Wisconsin following the reenactment of an antiquated 1849 Wisconsin abortion law post Dobbs. And as the country watched women’s freedoms being taken from them, Kristin started speaking out.

Kristin regularly contributes to local and national conversations about access to rural healthcare, IVF, abortion, menopause, and all facets of reproductive rights. She’s seen the role doctors play in their communities and has watched as those roles have been jeopardized by extreme politicians who think they know better than the professionals.

Kristin also works with medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is an active and award winning member with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), known for her effective leadership and outstanding contributions. With ACOG, Kristin worked with other leaders in the medical field to create guidance for healthcare providers on how to continue providing quality, supportive healthcare to women across the state when threats to access became the reality.

Kristin is now running for Congress because she believes it is pivotal to have a pro-patient, pro-choice OB/GYN in the U.S. House. Millions of American women deserve an advocate at a time when a small number of people in Washington have so much power but so little understanding of the realities of women’s health care. And Kristin will always lead with a community-first mindset – because as she knows from her own life, when we look out for one another and lift each other up, our community is stronger for it.