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July 29th , 2024 Len’s Political Note #660 Kristin Lyerly Wisconsin 08
2024 General Election
Kristin Lyerly is a local for Wisconsin 08. She is from Kaukauna –between Green Bay and Oshkosh. When she announced her candidacy in April, she said she would represent northeast Wisconsin. That is what Wisconsin 08 is – a district in northeast Wisconsin that is usually represented by Republicans and usually supports Republican presidential candidates, but peppers that support by occasionally electing Democratic Members of Congress and has occasionally been carried by Democratic presidential candidates.
Kristin Lyerly went away to college – to the University of Minnesota. She returned to the University of Wisconsin for medical school. A 1993 graduate, by 2009 she was a resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin. She worked in Green Bay at Bellin health and in Maple Grove, Minnesota. After five years as a consultant, she was back in Wisconsin working at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Sheboygan.
At some point in this process, Kristin Lyerly became as much an advocate for women and Wisconsin as she was a physician. She spent a year as the host of the Up North Podcast. Her medical specialties began to include a description as a rural health specialist. Her communication specialty included time on radio and television – a Morning Show Co-Host plus an offering on radio called the “Public Cervix Announcement.” Before deciding on her Congressional candidacy in Wisconsin, she spent parts of a year working with Navajo, Hopi, and Paiute women and their families in Arizona. During the course of her career, she married James Graham Lyerly, had four children, and, in 2022, divorced.
Kristin Lyerly’s preparation in Arizona for a Wisconsin Congressional run is not what you would call conventional. We don’t know who her Republican opponent will be yet. The primary is later in August. Two Republicans have announced – a State Senator and a recent candidate for Lt. Governor.
Kristin Lyerly’s candidacy is made plausible because Wisconsin 08 had a Republican Member of Congress who was not conventional. Mike Gallagher resigned from Congress disgusted with Congress and his party. Gallagher has a BA from Princeton and a PhD from Georgetown. He is a former Marine intelligence officer and has had the courage to criticize Donald Trump — for firing James Comey, for denying the existence of Russian interference in the election, and much more. The final straw for Mike Gallagher was the attempt to impeach homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Mike Gallagher’s vote was the decisive one in rejecting the impeachment effort. He resigned after that vote and then delayed his resignation so he could vote in favor of military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. In his last election, Mike Gallagher won by 25 points. Neither of the Republican candidates are men of the caliber of Mike Gallagher.
Kristin Lyerly brings an entirely different experience from Mike Gallagher. She has had a courageous life of a different sort. She was a plaintiff in the Wisconsin lawsuit that eventually kept abortion legal in the state. She had previously performed abortions in Wisconsin, but moved her practice to Minnesota after the US Supreme Court Hobbes decision left open the possibility of prosecution of Wisconsin medical practitioners under a 19thcentury law.
The special election to replace Mike Gallagher will occur in November at the same time as the general election elects a Member of Congress for the following two years. In both races, Kristin Lyerly is the only Democrat. Kristin Lyerly is experienced at getting her message out. Help provide her with the resources to do just that. DONATE.
Another potentially competitive House race in Wisconsin
Wisconsin 01
Peter Barca represented Wisconsin 01 in 1993 – replacing Les Aspin who became Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Defense. Peter Barca lasted a term as Wisconsin 01, a rectangular district south of Milwaukee with Kenosha and Racine on the coast of Lake Michigan and Janesville marking the district’s western border, was becoming Republican territory. For 20 years, ultimately serving as Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential candidate, Paul Ryan represented the district.
Pete Barca is back. A former school teacher, he returned to state politics, to service as a state representative leading the fight against Governor Scott Walker and then as Governor Tony Evers’ Revenue Secretary.
And still another potentially competitive race.
Wisconsin 03
Either Rebecca Cooke or Katrina Shankland will oppose extremist Republican Incumbent Derrick Van Orden. There are no polls available. Cooke led in funds available on March 31 — $800,000 to $400,000. Wait for the primary to see who the Democratic nominee is.
The US Senate race is the big race in Wisconsin in 2024
Wisconsin
Tammy Baldwin, grew up in Madison, raised mostly by her grandparents. She came out as a Lesbian in college and, like Ruben Gallego, is on the leftish side of the Democratic party. She is a particular advocate for the availability of health care and continues to be elected by Wisconsin voters. She has raised $26.4 million and had $10.3 million available on March 31.
Eric Hovde, chairman and CEO of the West Coast bank Sunwest and the owner of other banks as well as a Wisconsin real estate business founded by his grandfather, finally announced that he would oppose her. Shortly afterwards, he made some rookie mistakes. It is not just that his bank was named as a co-defendant in an elder abuse lawsuit, he described nursing home residents as having a tenure of five or six months and as not being competent to vote. Less offensive, but equally inaccurate, he ascribed increases in the national debt to spending, without taking into account huge Republican tax cuts.
Except for one Republican funded poll which found the two candidates even, every July poll showed Tammy Baldwin leading, one of them by 12 points. On June 30, she had $7.3 million in her official pocket. On the same date, Eric Hovde had $5.4 million in his official campaign fund and untold millions in his personal pocket which he may or may not be willing to spend. DONATE TO TAMMY BALDWIN. Keep her in the lead. See Len’s Political Note #570
A nearby Senate race in:
Michigan
Michigan – Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin’s family owned Hygrade Meat which included Ball Park Franks. She thought about agriculture when she began education and enrolled in Cornell’s agricultural school. She was in New York City at Columbia sudying international studies at the time of the 9/11 attack. That attack convinced her she should be in public service. She finished her Master’s Degree and joined the CIA. After a career in the CIA and working for the Department of Defense and the White House, she and her husband returned to the “genteman’s farm” that had been retained in the family when they sold the business. They thought about next steps and agreed, Elissa Slotkin would run for Congress, which she did successfully.
Now Elissa Slotkin is running for the seat that Debbie Stabenow is retiring from. She has raised $16 million and on March 31 had $8.6 remaining. The probable Republican nominee, former Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers had come out of retirement in Florida for this contest. He raised $3 million and had $1.4 million on March 31. Michigan is a large, expensive state. Both candidates need more. Elissa Slotkin’s $6 million is insufficient for a Michigan race.
Polls in June had Elissa Slotkin leading by 2, 3, and 5 points. There were a lot of undecided voters in all three polls. Help Elissa Slotkin reach more people. DONATE TO ELISSA SLOTKIN. See Len’s Political Note #589
WE HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO WIN
Donate to Kamala Harris
As we look toward November, 2024, Help the Kamala Harris campaign. Her candidacy has begun with tremendous enthusiasm and generosity. Join in the fun.
DONATE to Kamala Harris. Every donation, large or small, makes a difference. Larger donations mean more money for the campaign. But many in the media count the number of small donations as a measure of enthusiasm for the candidate. Make a small donation if you cannot afford a large one.
