Kristin Lyerly

Kristin Lyerly (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. She lost in the special general election on November 5, 2024.

Lyerly also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Lyerly completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kristin Lyerly was born in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. She obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1993, an M.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 2007, and a master's degree in public health from the University of Wisconsin in 2009. Her professional experience includes working as an obstetrician/gynecologist.^[1]

Elections

2024

Regular election

Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)

Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Tony Wied defeated Kristin Lyerly in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Wied (R)	57.3	240,040
	Kristin Lyerly (D)	42.6	178,666
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	272

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 418,978
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Kristin Lyerly advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8 on August 13, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kristin Lyerly	100.0	56,469
	Other/Write-in votes	0.0	25

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 56,494
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Tony Wied defeated Roger Roth and André Jacque in the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8 on August 13, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Wied	42.1	41,937
	Roger Roth	34.5	34,344
	André Jacque	23.3	23,186
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	65

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,532
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Mike Gallagher (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lyerly in this election.

Special election

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Tony Wied defeated Kristin Lyerly in the special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Wied (R)	57.2	242,003
	Kristin Lyerly (D)	42.8	181,196
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	232

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 423,431
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Kristin Lyerly advanced from the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8 on August 13, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kristin Lyerly	99.9	57,390
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	30

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,420
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Erik Eisenheim (D)

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Tony Wied defeated Roger Roth and André Jacque in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8 on August 13, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tony Wied	43.5	42,610
	Roger Roth	32.5	31,874
	André Jacque	24.0	23,509
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	64

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 98,057
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lyerly in this election.

2020

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Incumbent John Macco defeated Kristin Lyerly in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Macco (R)	52.3	17,214
	Kristin Lyerly (D)	47.6	15,673
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	19

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,906
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Kristin Lyerly advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 on August 11, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kristin Lyerly	99.7	4,910
	Other/Write-in votes	0.3	14

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,924
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nick De Leon (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Incumbent John Macco advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 on August 11, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Macco	99.7	3,702
	Other/Write-in votes	0.3	10

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,712
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign finance

Campaign themes

2024

Regular election

Ballotpedia survey responses

Kristin Lyerly completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lyerly's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Dr. Kristin Lyerly is a sixth-generation Wisconsinite, OB/GYN physician, mother of four, and champion for women and families running to be the first woman elected to Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. Kristin has practiced as an OB/GYN in Green Bay, Oconto, Marinette and Sheboygan, and regularly travels hundreds of miles to provide a wide range of health care services to rural and underrepresented communities in Minnesota and Arizona. She was the named plaintiff in the case that brought abortion care back to Wisconsin following the restoration of an antiquated 1849 Wisconsin abortion law post- Dobbs. Dr. Lyerly works with medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is an active and award-winning member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), known for her effective leadership and outstanding contributions. Kristin is running for Congress to bring a pro-patient, pro-choice champion of women’s healthcare to DC and to advocate for Wisconsin’s working families.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Health Care: I am an OB/GYN with a long history of both quality clinical care and advocacy work on local, state, and national levels. I have been firm and visible in my support for physician payment, training/education, and scope of practice matters both statewide and nationally. I support improving healthcare access, quality, and affordability for all Americans.
Inflation: As an OB-GYN, I meet hard-working people every day who are struggling to afford essential healthcare, put food on their table, and put gas in their car. Wisconsinites shouldn’t have to work two or three jobs to pay the bills. We need to do more to lower costs. And instead of giving tax breaks to corporations and billionaires, I’ll fight for a middle-class tax cut, so the teacher working 2 jobs must only work one. And I’ll make the very wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share.
Climate: I have worked with Wisconsin Physicians for Climate Action, now Healthy Climate Wisconsin, to advocate for issues specifically related to climate change, the environment, and health in Wisconsin and beyond. Many of the issues we address are related to rural and underrepresented populations including mining, oil pipelines, and clean water which is an especially big concern in my district where PFAS and CAFO issues are prominent. As a forward thinking leader, I have visions of transitioning to a clean energy standard, as well as high speed rail connecting the urban centers of my district to Milwaukee and beyond. My strong support for our climate is why I’m the only candidate in this race endorsed by the Sierra Club and the LCV.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about access to healthcare. I have seen the failures of our broken healthcare system hundreds of times. Our maternal mortality is growing, our healthcare outcomes are worsening and we're spending more than any other developed nation. We absolutely must build a healthcare system that works for people over profit.

I am personally passionate about our environment and agriculture. Having grown up in a working class Kaukauna household I remember taking trips to visit my grandparents on their farm. I remember the tractor rides, the taste of milk from the bulk tank and the incredible sense of community that my grandparents and parents were a part of.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe that the most important principles for an elected official are a commitment to honesty and openness, strong relationships within the communities they represent, and a clear sense of self.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a cashier at the Shopko in Kimberly as soon as I turned 16. This was in the era before scanners and I loved punching in the numbers and chatting with the customers. I worked for about a year before I had to quit because I landed a great part in the school play and there was a time overlap.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

While I appreciate the intent of imposing term limits on members of congress I worry about the unintended consequences. Most prominently I worry about empowering lobbyists by making them more versed in statecraft than established elected officials.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Governor Tony Evers
Representative Mark Pocan
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez
Attourney General Josh Kaul
Secretary of State Sarah Godlewki

WI AFL-CIO
League of Conservation Voters
National Education Association
Emily's List
Planned Parenthood
Voter Protection Project

Nurses For America

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Special election

Ballotpedia survey responses

Kristin Lyerly did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Lyerly’s campaign website stated the following:

“	ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE The current healthcare system isn’t working for anyone, and as a practicing physician, Kristin has seen how much these health care costs are climbing year after year. As a member of Congress, Kristin will work to lower prescription drug prices, and advocate for reforms to the healthcare system that allow Wisconsinites to get the care they need, at costs they can afford. STRENGTHING THE ECONOMY A truly strong economy supports businesses, but it also supports workers and their families, and that starts with lowering costs, and building an economy that works for everyone. No one should be forced to decide between putting food on the table, and getting the medication they need. This means lowering the everyday costs of health care, housing, and child care; investing in an innovative workforce; and making sure we’ve got a tax system that works for everyone. PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS As an OB/GYN doctor, Kristin has spent her entire career focused on ensuring that women have the ability to make their own personal healthcare decisions without government interference. Kristin has seen firsthand what happens when women who are already in difficult positions get placed into impossible ones. As Representative for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District, Kristin will fight to protect reproductive rights across the country. INVESTMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES For far too long, rural communities have been getting the short end of the stick – communities that are the backbone of America. By expanding health facility access, investing in broadband, boosting agricultural subsidies, increasing mental health services, and addressing the opioid epidemic, we can ensure that we’re committed to enhancing quality of life, no matter what zip code you live in. ^[2]	”
—Kristin Lyerly’s campaign website (2024)^[3]

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released July 1, 2020

Kristin Lyerly completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lyerly's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a physician, a mom, and a woman who believes that, in the words of Paul Wellstone, "we all do better when we all do better".

My roots and my heart are in Northeast Wisconsin. My mom's parents were dairy farmers near Fond du Lac, back when family farms were a way of life in the Badger State. My uncle still owns the farm, although the cows are long gone. My dad was a foreman in the tool and die industry in Kaukauna, until that moved out of town. His entire family worked at the paper mill for generations . My parents' dream for me and my sister, a bank teller in Oshkosh, was to go to college, and they fought to get us there. I graduated from the University of Minnesota and then came home to the University of Wisconsin for medical school and residency training in obstetrics and gynecology, along the way earning a Master's Degree in Public Health - as well as a student loan debt burden I am paying off to this day.

As a physician, I have the privilege of listening to my patients every day and helping them find solutions to complicated, individualized problems. These experiences fuel my work in healthcare advocacy, which lends itself naturally to a broader role in leadership, especially when healthcare is front and center. The voice of medicine is absent from the body that determines much of what happens in your exam room, which is nonsensical at best and devastating - even deadly - at worst. I will be that voice.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I care. I'm not a politician, I'm a physician. I entered this race when I recognized that our current leaders were consistently putting personal gain over public health by sending us to the polls during a pandemic and suing the executive branch to remove the "safer at home" order without a plan in place. This brazen, irresponsible behavior has to stop, and the only way to do it is to elect leaders who truly value every aspect of public health.
I take the title "Representative" very seriously. Having grown up in Northeastern Wisconsin, coming from a dairy farm and paper mill heritage, I understand the people of our region in a foundational way. Now, in my role as an obstetrician/gynecologist, I hear from women every day about the issues that affect their lives as well. We are all individuals, with our own set of challenges and opportunities, but we share many of the same needs within our community. I seek to know and understand my constituents who I can represent them in the most authentic, impactful manner.
I have a vision. I see a future where we solve problems in a thoughtful and collaborative manner, using science as a foundation, balanced with personal experience and individual needs. A future where we address contemporary concerns but also invest in the resources that will serve future generations. A future for all of us, entire communities that acknowledge and celebrate diversity in thought, culture, and backgrounds.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Every Wisconsinite deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare. It is inconceivable that here, in the wealthiest nation on earth, we pay more for healthcare than any of our peer nations, yet suffer worse outcomes by far. I see the impact of our failing system every day, in the exam room and beyond, through my work in healthcare advocacy, and am determined that we can and must do better.

Public schools are the foundation of our communities and an investment in the future of all Wisconsinites. Our public K-12 schools, once the best in the nation, are suffering from a broken school funding program, stagnant support over the past decade, and increased demands despite fewer resources, problems that will be magnified, requiring thoughtful solutions, as we live with the coronavirus pandemic for the foreseeable future.

Responsible environmental stewardship, based on thoughtful, evidence-based policies, is critical to our health, economy, and future. Clean water and air, renewable energy, and development of transportation alternatives including walk/bike paths are forward-thinking alternatives that offer a spectrum of benefits, now and for generations to come.

Intertwined throughout these, and all other areas of public policy, is our fragile economy, the needs of which must be balanced with competing demands to ensure adequate support for small businesses and others that will give way to a vibrant future as our society recovers in the months and years to come.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am driven by meaning, not position or title, and I am an excellent listener. The stories of my patients, my constituents, and my friends are the fuel that motivates me to push forward, especially in difficult times, and search for collaborative solutions to challenging problems. Emboldened by the people for whom I speak, I am fearless in the pursuit of a better tomorrow for all of us.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A representative must represent her constituents. No one agrees with anyone about everything, and no two people share exactly the same experiences. For these reasons and many more, it is essential that a representative puts aside self and thinks about the culture, values, desires, and needs of the individuals, organizations, and businesses within the district, and then uses her best judgment when making decisions on the behalf of her diverse communities.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

As soon as I turned 16 and could drive, I took a job as a cashier at the ShopKo in Kimberly, back before scanners, when you had to punch buttons for every item. I still remember the orange price stickers and the SKU for candy: 129-XXXXX. I loved that job. "Owning" my own register, keeping my surroundings tidy, greeting and chatting with customers - it never felt like work. I didn't even mind the burnt orange smock (which I still have, by the way). I think I made $3.65 an hour, about half of the current minimum wage in Wisconsin, but without any real expenses of my own, it felt like a fortune. Most of it went to records and cassette tapes...and, of course, the candy. I worked there for about 6 months, when I transitioned over to a full-time summer job, helping out within the Kaukauna public schools, before my senior year of high school.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I always have a song in my head. They usually don't get stuck there, just replaced with something new. But, if I had to pick one, it would be "Let's Live For Today" by the Grass Roots. It reminds me that, although I am all about planning for the future, every day is a gift.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that it can be. In any setting, members with institutional memory or relevant experience who understand how established systems work can help to streamline processes, organize members, and get things accomplished in the most efficient manner.

In some ways, though, I believe that previous experience can be detrimental. Politicians share a unique experience and see a different version of the world. They may lose touch with their constituents, which makes it challenging to adequately represent the people who elected you to perform exactly that duty.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Refocusing our priorities on the people of Wisconsin instead of big business and politics. Rebuilding our schools, ensuring adequate healthcare for all, preserving our environment, and supporting small businesses to nurture our economy back to health.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely! Working together with fellow legislators will help us identify similar needs and opportunities across districts so we can build coalitions, raise awareness, and solve problems. I have a strong history of creating relationships and compromising effectively, even in difficult times and amongst diversity in opinion.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia Logo Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Kristin Lyerly campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Wisconsin District 8	Lost general	$2,382,760	$1,802,518
2024*	U.S. House Wisconsin District 8	Lost general	$2,802,202	$2,776,592
2020	Wisconsin State Assembly District 88	Lost general	$467,360	N/A**
Grand total			$5,652,321	$4,579,111
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 1, 2020
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Kristin Lyerly’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed July 26, 2024

[show]

Wisconsin's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Baldwin (D)

Ronald Johnson (R)

Representatives

District 1

Bryan Steil (R)

District 2

Mark Pocan (D)

District 3

Derrick Van Orden (R)

District 4

Gwen Moore (D)

District 5

Scott Fitzgerald (R)

District 6

Glenn Grothman (R)

District 7

Tom Tiffany (R)

District 8

Tony Wied (R)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (3)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 1, 2020

[quotedisclaimer-2] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[3] Kristin Lyerly’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed July 26, 2024

[1]

[2]

[3]

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Kristin Lyerly

Biography

Elections

2024

Regular election

General election

General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Special election

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 8

Endorsements

2020

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Campaign finance

Campaign themes

2024

Regular election

Ballotpedia survey responses

Special election

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign website

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2024 Elections

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