Joel Kitchens
Joel C. Kitchens | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 1st district | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Garey Bies |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 20, 1957 Washington D.C. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sherry |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin |
| 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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ "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.
External links
[edit]- Profile at Vote Smart
- Joel Kitchens at Ballotpedia
- Representative Joel Kitchens at Wisconsin Legislature
 | This article about a Republican Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly born in the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1957 births
- Living people
- People from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
- Politicians from Washington, D.C.
- Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine alumni
- School board members in Wisconsin
- 21st-century American legislators
- Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- 21st-century Wisconsin politicians
- Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly stubs