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.
Joel C. Kitchens | |
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Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 1st district | |
Assumed office January 6, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Garey Bies |
Personal details | |
Born | Washington D.C. | September 20, 1957
Nationality | American |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Sherry |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin |
Alma mater | Ohio State University (BS, DVM) |
Profession | Veterinarian |
Website |
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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.
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]
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]