Wisconsin Has Zero Physicians in Its Legislature. Meet Dr. Gillian Battino — the Woman Fixing That.

Wisconsin's state legislature has zero doctors. Zero.

Dr. Gillian Battino is done watching that be true. A retired radiologist who spent over 20 years caring for patients in Wausau, Marshfield, and Madison — and a mother of six — she's running as a Democrat for Wisconsin's 29th State Senate District — a race just targeted by the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Campaign Committee as a top priority for 2026.

I sat down with Gillian for an honest conversation about what she saw in her exam rooms that politicians never will, why Central Wisconsin families are struggling in ways Madison isn't fixing, and what happens when a doctor finally decides the only way to heal a broken system is to get inside it.

We go deep on:
Why there are no physicians in Wisconsin's state legislature — and what that costs all of us
What rural healthcare access really looks like in Marathon and nearly every other county in Wisconsin
The crushing reality of medical debt, childcare costs, and housing prices for working Wisconsin families
How a physician's mindset changes what representation could actually look like
Why Gillian keeps saying yes — even after previous runs for elected office

Learn more & get involved: www.battinoforwisconsin.com
Instagram: @gillianbattinoforwisconsin
Facebook: @gillianbattinoforwisconsin
X: @GillianBattino

The Dr. Kristin Lyerly Show brings you honest, unfiltered conversations at the intersection of medicine, politics, and the fight to build a healthcare system that actually works. New episodes on YouTube, Substack, and wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe so you never miss one.

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Dr. Kristin Lyerly is an OB-GYN based in northeast Wisconsin and a leading voice on healthcare, politics, and the issues shaping our collective future. As the named physician plaintiff in a landmark Wisconsin abortion decision, she brings a perspective to these conversations that goes beyond politics. New episodes drop every week. Subscribe to stay current on reproductive rights, health politics, all things Wisconsin, and everything else that matters.

Producer: Abraham Lyerly
Music: Nic Tierman
Graphics: Nathaniel Gonzalez