GREEN BAY, Wis. — One of the most watched November races in the Fox Valley is the 8th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Green Bay, Appleton and Oshkosh.
The race will determine who will fill the congressional seat vacated by Rep. Mike Gallagher in April.
OB-GYN and Democrat Dr. Kristin Lyerly is facing Republican Tony Wied, a retired businessman who’s endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Both candidates are long-time residents of the 8th District. Neither has ever held an elective office.
Wied, a married father of four boys, said he’s always called Brown County home.
“My wife, Angela, and I ran a small business right here in District 8. I’ve lived here my entire life, and we know what it takes to make those difficult decisions,” Wied said.
Lyerly, a mother of four boys, described herself as a local girl born and raised in Kaukauna.
“My family’s been there for generations. My family’s been in the region for six generations. They worked in the paper mills. They’re dairy farmers,” Lyerly said.
Both candidates said they recognize that inflation and immigration at America’s southern border are important to voters.
Wied said he describes himself as a problem-solver. He said the economy and inflation are pressing issues for voters.
“We’re going into debt a trillion dollars every 100 days and that is what causes the inflation. That’s why I believe strongly that we should have single-subject spending bills, where we look at our budget line by line and really dig in and determine what we need to do to stop this spending, to stop the inflation that is hurting people so much,” Wied said.
Lyerly said she sees herself as a believer in community over politics. As Minnesota OB-GYN, she said part of her focus is on reproductive rights and medical care.
“We’ve got to figure out how to make health care more accessible, more affordable, how we can bring down the cost of prescription drugs. We live in the wealthiest country on earth with the most expensive health care system, yet our outcomes are worse than any other peer country, especially when it comes to my patients, moms and babies. So that’s one place where I can be incredibly helpful,” Lyerly said.
In September, both candidates participated in their one and only debate. Candidates sparred on other issues like affordable housing, student loans and social security.
Lyerly said the debate showed she’s more than just a one-issue candidate.
“I get pigeonholed because I’m an OB-GYN doctor, and I do talk about reproductive health care a lot, but I also talk about immigration and the economy and all of the other things,” Lyerly said.
Wied said while it’s an honor to have Trump’s endorsement, he hopes the debate showed voters that he’s an independent thinker.
“I will take a pragmatic approach to the many problems that our country is facing right now, and I will work hard. Public service is my sole mission with my wife and I, and I will work hard to tackle the problems that we need. I’ll work with anybody. I will work across lines,” Wied said.
The candidates will appear on the ballot twice on Nov. 5, once in a special election to decide who will complete Gallagher’s term through Jan, 3, 2025; and again to determine who will fill the seat for the two-year term from Jan. 2025 through 2027.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated both Lyerly’s marital status and the city where she practices as an OB-GYN. And how long the two candidates have lived in the district was also incorrect. These have been corrected. (Nov. 3, 2024)