Democratic candidate Dr. Kristin Lyerly previously reprimanded by Medical Board
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - After Republican Mike Gallagher unexpectedly resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives, an OBGYN became the first Democrat to announce her candidacy for Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District.
Lyerly’s campaign, one focused on protecting reproductive rights, quickly picked up traction, raising $125,000 in the first 24 hours after launching this month. Lyerly was a plaintiff in Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul’s lawsuit to restore abortion access in Wisconsin after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“Politics has been interfering in the practice of medicine, especially when it comes to reproductive health care,” Lyerly told our Wisconsin State Capitol Bureau Chief last week, days after launching her campaign.
According to records obtained from Minnesota’s Medical Board of Practice, Lyerly received a medical reprimand in 2020.
“Medicine is practice,” Lyerly said. “It’s imperfect, and we always do the best that we can, but you know, we’re not perfect.”
The reprimand details Lyerly, “failed to timely deliver an infant in December of 2018″, and “late decelerations were present on the fetal heart rate tracing for about 30 minutes” before performing a C-section, after the baby’s heart rate started decelerating.
The report also noted Lyerly voluntarily suspended her hospital privileges in 2019, while “under investigation by her employer for substandard or inadequate care.”
Lyerly’s Campaign Director Madeline Buchholz-Kneeland said Lyerly’s voluntary suspension was unrelated to the investigation and reprimand. Lyerly was moving back home to Wisconsin and wanted her son to be able to graduate with his friends, Buchholz-Kneeland explained.
A reprimand is the Board’s least severe disciplinary action.
“In this situation, it was a challenging delivery and timing of the delivery is always difficult to get perfect,” Lyerly said. “That’s what the stipulation was about.”
When asked if the reprimand casts doubt on her credibility as a provider and advocate, Lyerly responded, “I don’t think so.”
She continued, “when you look at this stipulation, out of the 1000′s of babies that I’ve delivered, I’ve had only missed one instance.”
Buchholz-Kneeland said the baby delivered in this instance was healthy.
Lyerly also noted she has “always had a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in Minnesota and in Wisconsin.” State records show Lyerly still holds valid medical licenses in both states.
Matt Fisher, director of communications for Wisconsin’s Republican party, said with three other Republicans in this race, Lyerly, is not the best candidate.
In 2022, no Democrats ran in the historically red district. Three Republicans have already announced their candidacy. Current State Sen. Andre Jacque, former state Sen. Roger Roth and former gas station owner Tony Wied, who received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, are all vying for the seat.
“Wisconsin families deserve to know that they are electing someone to Congress with a record of delivering,” Fisher said.
Fisher said this reprimand should not be discounted as just a political talking point.
“It wasn’t one party saying this or another party saying it,” Fisher said. “It was the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice that would ultimately raise these concerns.”
This reprimand isn’t news for some Republicans. In 2020, Lyerly unsuccessfully ran against incumbent Republican John Macco in Wisconsin’s 88th State Assembly District.
“What happened with the last campaign is, flyers were sent out that were that were manipulated that didn’t tell the true story,” Lyerly said. “It made it sound like I was a terrible doctor, and the truth couldn’t be further from what they said.”
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