Republican Joel Kitchens wins 1st Assembly District

WISCONSIN (Civic Media) – Incumbent Republican Joel Kitchens has been called the winner of the race for the 1st Assembly District in Wisconsin.

The Associated Press made the call Tuesday evening.

The Republican Party was favored in this district going into the election, according to CNalysis. The district was considered safe Republican with a projected margin of 16 points.

Kitchens was first elected to the Assembly in 2015. Kitchens is the chair of the Education Committee and has three other committee assignments. He is a large animal veterinarian. Before the Assembly, he spent 15 years on the Sturgeon Bay Board of Education.

Kitchens faced controversy last year after comments he made on abortion rights. Kitchens is a veterinarian, and during a public hearing on an abortion-related bill, he cited his experience in his veterinary career to say abortion isn’t health care, saying “I think I know mammalian fetal development better than probably anyone here.” He received national criticism for comparing women to farm animals. See that clip from Heartland Signal here.

Kitchens defeated Democratic challenger Renee Paplham, who works as a caregiver to people with special needs.

The 1st Assembly District covers Wisconsin’s peninsula into Lake Michigan, including Door, Kewaunee, and parts of Brown counties.

For more analysis on the 2024 Election, you can visit our Election Coverage website here. A preview of all state races is available on our 2024 Wisconsin Legislature Voter Guide.