Joel Kitchens

21st century American politician

Joel C. Kitchens

Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 6, 2015
Preceded by	Garey Bies

Personal details
Born	(1957-09-20) September 20, 1957 (age 66) Washington D.C.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Sherry
Children	3
Residence	Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Alma mater	Ohio State University (BS, DVM)
Profession	Veterinarian
Website	Official website Campaign website

Joel C. Kitchens (born September 20, 1957) is an American veterinary doctor and Republican politician from Door County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 1st Assembly district since 2015.

Background

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.

Public office

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]

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.