| State | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| State assembly | Wisconsin |
| District | 1st |
| Term start | January 6, 2015 |
| Predecessor | Garey Bies |
| Party | Republican |
| Birth date | September 20, 1957 (age 69) |
| Birth place | Washington D.C. |
| Spouse | Sherry |
| Alma mater | Ohio State University (BS, DVM) |
| Profession | Veterinarian |
| Website |
Joel C. Kitchens (born September 20, 1957) is an American veterinarian and Republican politician from Door County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 1st Assembly district since 2015.
Early life and career
Born in Washington, D.C., to Thomas W. Kitchens Jr. and Fleurette Kitchens, Kitchens moved around frequently as his father served in various positions with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[1] Kitchens received his bachelor's degree and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees from Ohio State University. He moved to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and began a veterinarian practice there in 1984.
State Assembly
He was elected to the Sturgeon Bay School District Board of Education in 1999, eventually becoming its President .[2][3] On November 4, 2014, Kitchens was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican.[4]
Remarks on abortion
In January 2024, Kitchens received worldwide attention after stating, during an Assembly debate on abortion, that as a veterinarian he was probably the most expert person in the room on female pregnancies. "The question is whether abortion is health care and if you believe that a fetus is a human life, then abortion is not health care," he said. "In my veterinary career, I did thousands of ultrasounds on animals... I think I know mammalian fetal development better than anyone here. And in my mind, there’s absolutely no question that’s a life."[5][6]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (2014–present)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Primary[7] | Aug. 12 | Joel C. Kitchens | Republican | 2,935 | 43.98% | Paul M. Feit | Rep. | 1,841 | 27.58% | 6,674 | 1,094 |
| Terry McNulty | Rep. | 1,281 | 19.19% | |||||||||
| Brian Hackbarth | Rep. | 616 | 9.23% | |||||||||
| General[8] | Nov. 4 | Joel C. Kitchens | Republican | 16,072 | 56.70% | Joe Majeski | Dem. | 12,256 | 43.24% | 28,345 | 3,816 | |
| 2016 | General[9] | Nov. 8 | Joel Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 20,044 | 60.11% | Lynn Utesch | Dem. | 13,289 | 39.85% | 33,347 | 6,755 |
| 2018 | General[10] | Nov. 6 | Joel C. Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 20,651 | 68.38% | Roberta Thelen | Ind. | 9,519 | 31.52% | 30,202 | 11,132 |
| 2020 | General[11] | Nov. 3 | Joel Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 23,441 | 61.82% | Kim Delorit Jensen | Dem. | 14,462 | 38.14% | 37,920 | 2,007 |
| 2022 | Primary[12] | Aug. 9 | Joel Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 6,893 | 77.49% | Milt Swagel | Rep. | 1,992 | 22.39% | 8,895 | 4,901 |
| General[13] | Nov. 8 | Joel Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 19,864 | 62.45% | Roberta Thelen | Dem. | 11,916 | 37.46% | 31,806 | 7,948 | |
| 2024 | Primary[14] | Aug. 13 | Joel Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 7,858 | 77.15% | Milt Swagel | Rep. | 2,319 | 22.76% | 10,186 | 5,539 |
| General[15] | Nov. 5 | Joel Kitchens (inc) | Republican | 24,101 | 61.91% | Renee Paplham | Dem. | 14,801 | 38.02% | 38,929 | 9,300 | |
| Milt Swagel (write-in) | Ind. | 5 | 0.01% | |||||||||
References
- ^ "Thomas W. Kitchens Jr. obituary". The Cincinnati Enquirer (cincinnati.com). December 13, 2011. Retrieved on April 18, 2022.
- ^ "About Joel". Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "Wisconsin Vote.org.-Joel C. Kitchens". Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
- ^ "Currents Election Results". Archived from the original on 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
- ^ Gallagher, Kayla. "GOP State Rep Argues Abortion Isn't Health Care, Says He Knows 'Better' Than Others Because He Was a Veterinarian". Microsoft Start. msn.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ McHardy, Martha. "Republican lawmaker claims he's 'qualified' to ban abortion – because he's a vet: 'Misogyny in action ― women, animals, it's all the same,' one person tweeted in response to remarks by Joel Kitchens". Independent.tv. The Independent. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2014 Fall Partisan Primary - 8/12/2014. Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 29, 2014. p. 15. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 26, 2014. p. 9. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016. Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. p. 9. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018. Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 10. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 7. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2022 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2022. Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2022. p. 9. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 9. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ County by County Report - 2024 Partisan Primary. Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2024. p. 100. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ County by County Report - 2024 General Election. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 1. Retrieved February 1, 2026.