Anne Northup
Encyclopedia
Anne Meagher Northup is an American
Republican
politician from the state of Kentucky
. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville
-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky
in the United States House of Representatives
, where she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She lost reelection to Democratic
politician John Yarmuth
in the 2006 election
. She then ran for governor, losing by 15 points to embattled Governor of Kentucky
Ernie Fletcher
in the Republican primary election
for the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election
. Prior to her election to the United States House of Representatives
, Northup had served in the Kentucky House of Representatives
.
Northup ran again for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election, losing again to Yarmuth.
On July 30, 2009, President
Barack Obama
nominated Northup to a seat on the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC), and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate
on August 7. The seat is a Republican seat by statute and is the choice of the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
. She is one of the only government regulators who has previously served in Congress.
, a suburb of Louisville. Northup was educated at Sacred Heart Academy and Saint Mary's College
, earning a bachelor's degree in economics and business. She married Woody Northup, who attended nearby Notre Dame
, and they have six children. One of her sisters is Mary T. Meagher
, who won three gold medal
s in swimming
(butterfly) in the 1984 Summer Olympics
, as well as a bronze
in 1988
.
's 1980 presidential campaign
. She was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
in 1987 where she served as Representative of Kentucky's 32nd House district until 1996.
-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky
. Despite the Democratic-leanings of the district, she managed to win re-election many times. One reason maybe is that served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She voted for three of the four impeachment charges against President Clinton
in December 1998.
She was one of the wealthiest members of the House of Representatives, ranking 34th out of the 435—with assets of $4.4 million to $15.9 million—based on financial disclosure statements made for the 2006 campaign.
. The seat had been held for the previous 24 years by Democrat Ron Mazzoli.
The competitive race—the candidates were in a dead heat in early polls—was of national interest in a year when Democrats were trying to regain control of the house. It attracted a visit from then-President Bill Clinton
in support of Jordan, and became at the time the second most expensive House race in Kentucky history. A memorable Northup ad featured a clip of Jordan speaking in the Kentucky House's floor, urging colleagues to hurry up and vote a bill, saying "I have a fund-raiser at 6 o'clock and I want to get out of here." The Courier-Journal credited that ad, combined with Jordan's admission on a local radio program that she did not know the cost of a Medicare bill she had voted for, with Jordan's gradual decline in support late in the campaign.
Although the race looked close early on, it became Northup's largest margin of victory and would remain so until 2004.
, it was revealed that Northup's office had both telephoned and sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission
regarding a licensing problem that had previously been dismissed concerning her husband's company. Since the letter referred to a company vice president as a constituent and did not mention that Northup's husband was the president, the Center for Public Integrity
called the action a breach of ethics
and the Congressional Accountability Project called for an investigation by the House ethics panel. Northup's staff said the letter, which had also asked for updates on the application's progress, did not reveal Northup's ties to the company to avoid the appearance of special consideration. FCC officials acknowledged that the case was reopened on the date of the letter, but said it had done so before the letter arrived. The FCC said Northup's actions had no part in its decision to grant the application four days after receiving the letter.
. In three debates in October, she attacked her opponent as uninformed on national issues and unprepared for office. In polls before the debates, Northup led by 7 percentage points; in polls afterwards, she led by 24 points. She ran on her past performance, as well as the promise of securing funding for two new Ohio River bridges
and a new Veteran's Administration hospital.
Northup was endorsed by The Courier-Journal (typically seen as liberal), several local Democratic officeholders, and former state Attorney General Chris Gorman, a Democrat who ran against her for the seat in 1998.
, former publisher and editorialist of the Louisville Eccentric Observer
(LEO), an alternative newsweekly. Although initially considered an underdog for his lack of a political background and the potential for his views to be portrayed as strongly liberal, Yarmuth garnered 122,139 votes (51%) to Northup's 116,157 votes (48%). Third party candidates garnered 2,896 votes (1%).
The campaign was relatively civil, although ads were run calling Yarmuth a hypocrite for his statements condemning the minimum wage
as immoral while his family's restaurants paid some employees minimum wage. She also attempted to exploit Yarmuth's lengthy record in print, repeating in campaign ads some of his potentially unpopular statements (such as allegedly supporting the legalization of marijuana) and holding a press conference to complain that not all of his old columns had been made available to her campaign. Major themes of Northup's campaign was that she was independent of the then-unpopular President Bush, and that she was uniquely able to secure federal funds for Louisville projects. Due to her support for many of the President Bush's policies and her past campaigning with the president her reelection was closely watched on election night as an indicator as to how well the Democrats would do in the mid-term elections.
primary election for Governor of Kentucky. Northup's running mate was State Representative Jeff Hoover
of Jamestown, Kentucky
, Republican leader in the Kentucky House. Northup received endorsements from prominent Kentucky Republicans including U.S. Senator Jim Bunning
and Lt. Governor Steve Pence
.
After a lengthy scandal and investigation during his first term involving alleged abuses of the state's merit-based hiring system, many believed incumbent governor Ernie Fletcher
, who sought re-election, no longer had sufficient support from either the Republican Party leadership or voters. It was released from The Courier-Journal newspaper that Anne Northup was praised as a "formidable" candidate by the state's top Republican leader, long-time U.S Senator and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, although McConnell stopped short of an endorsement of any particular candidate. Northup faced Fletcher and businessman Billy Harper in the primary.
Northup began television advertisements about six weeks before the primary election, with the slogan "The only Republican who can win in November". On May 22, 2007, Northup was defeated in the Republican primary by Fletcher. Fletcher lost in the general election to Democrat Steve Beshear
.
At a press conference held in front of a gas station on June 17, 2008, Northup said that the 2008 elections were about the rising price of energy.
On November 4, 2008, Northup was defeated by John Yarmuth 59% to 41%.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician from the state of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky
Kentucky's 3rd congressional district
Kentucky's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky encompassing nearly the whole city of Louisville, which, since the merger of 2003, is contiguous with Jefferson County...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, where she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She lost reelection to Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician John Yarmuth
John Yarmuth
John Yarmuth is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Early life, education and career :...
in the 2006 election
United States House elections, 2006
- House of Representatives prior to the election :As of November 7, 2006, the U.S. House of the 109th Congress was composed of 229 Republicans, 201 Democrats and 1 Independent . There were also four vacancies...
. She then ran for governor, losing by 15 points to embattled Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
in the Republican primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election
Kentucky gubernatorial election, 2007
The Kentucky gubernatorial election, 2007 was held on November 6, 2007. In this election, incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher lost to Democratic challenger Steve Beshear, who therefore began serving as Governor of Kentucky in December 2007 for a term through December 2011...
. Prior to her election to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Northup had served in the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
.
Northup ran again for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election, losing again to Yarmuth.
On July 30, 2009, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Northup to a seat on the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." The CPSC is an independent agency that does...
(CPSC), and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on August 7. The seat is a Republican seat by statute and is the choice of the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
. She is one of the only government regulators who has previously served in Congress.
Personal life
Northup was born to a large family, having nine sisters and a brother, and grew up in St. MatthewsSt. Matthews, Kentucky
St. Matthews is the 20th largest city in Kentucky, United States and is a prominent suburb of Louisville. It is located 8 miles east of downtown Louisville in Jefferson County. It is one of the state's major shopping areas, being home to second and fifth largest malls in Kentucky St. Matthews is...
, a suburb of Louisville. Northup was educated at Sacred Heart Academy and Saint Mary's College
Saint Mary's College (Indiana)
Saint Mary's College is a private Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. It is located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community northeast of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States — as are the University of Notre Dame and Holy...
, earning a bachelor's degree in economics and business. She married Woody Northup, who attended nearby Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, and they have six children. One of her sisters is Mary T. Meagher
Mary T. Meagher
Mary Terstegge Meagher Plant is an Olympic champion and former World Record holding swimmer from the United States...
, who won three gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s in swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
(butterfly) in the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, as well as a bronze
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in 1988
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
.
Early political career
Northup first became active in politics as a volunteer for Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's 1980 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1980
The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent...
. She was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
in 1987 where she served as Representative of Kentucky's 32nd House district until 1996.
Tenure
She represented the LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky
Kentucky's 3rd congressional district
Kentucky's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky encompassing nearly the whole city of Louisville, which, since the merger of 2003, is contiguous with Jefferson County...
. Despite the Democratic-leanings of the district, she managed to win re-election many times. One reason maybe is that served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She voted for three of the four impeachment charges against President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in December 1998.
She was one of the wealthiest members of the House of Representatives, ranking 34th out of the 435—with assets of $4.4 million to $15.9 million—based on financial disclosure statements made for the 2006 campaign.
1996
She was elected to the United States House in 1996, narrowly defeating one-term Democratic incumbent Mike WardMike Ward (Kentucky Congressman)
Michael Delavan "Mike" Ward is a former one-term congressman of the United States House of Representatives. He was a Democrat from Kentucky....
. The seat had been held for the previous 24 years by Democrat Ron Mazzoli.
1998
In 1998, Northup defeated Democratic candidate Chris Gorman, a former state attorney general, by just 4 percentage points.2000
In 2000, Northup defeated Eleanor Jordan, receiving 53% of the vote to Jordan's 44%. Jordan, a member of the Kentucky General Assembly who began her adult life as an unwed mother on welfare, was trying to become Kentucky's first black member of Congress. As with many of Northup's other opponents, Jordan argued that Northup too often sided with her Republican counterparts, voting the party line over 90% of the time. Northup ran on her record of getting federal money for the district, and argued Jordan would be "too liberal" for constituents.The competitive race—the candidates were in a dead heat in early polls—was of national interest in a year when Democrats were trying to regain control of the house. It attracted a visit from then-President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in support of Jordan, and became at the time the second most expensive House race in Kentucky history. A memorable Northup ad featured a clip of Jordan speaking in the Kentucky House's floor, urging colleagues to hurry up and vote a bill, saying "I have a fund-raiser at 6 o'clock and I want to get out of here." The Courier-Journal credited that ad, combined with Jordan's admission on a local radio program that she did not know the cost of a Medicare bill she had voted for, with Jordan's gradual decline in support late in the campaign.
Although the race looked close early on, it became Northup's largest margin of victory and would remain so until 2004.
2002
While campaigning for a fourth term in 2002 against Jack ConwayJack Conway (politician)
John William “Jack” Conway is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a Democrat and has served as the Attorney General of Kentucky since 2008. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was a candidate in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for , narrowly losing to Anne...
, it was revealed that Northup's office had both telephoned and sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
regarding a licensing problem that had previously been dismissed concerning her husband's company. Since the letter referred to a company vice president as a constituent and did not mention that Northup's husband was the president, the Center for Public Integrity
Center for Public Integrity
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern. The Center is non-partisan and non-advocacy and committed to transparent and comprehensive reporting both in the United States and around...
called the action a breach of ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and the Congressional Accountability Project called for an investigation by the House ethics panel. Northup's staff said the letter, which had also asked for updates on the application's progress, did not reveal Northup's ties to the company to avoid the appearance of special consideration. FCC officials acknowledged that the case was reopened on the date of the letter, but said it had done so before the letter arrived. The FCC said Northup's actions had no part in its decision to grant the application four days after receiving the letter.
2004
Northup was elected to a fifth term with 60 percent of the vote in 2004, her largest margin of victory. Her earlier House races were much closer. She defeated long time Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk Tony MillerTony Miller (Kentucky)
Tony Miller is a U.S. politician from Kentucky.Tony Miller served as the Circuit Court Clerk for Jefferson County, Kentucky from 1988 to 2006....
. In three debates in October, she attacked her opponent as uninformed on national issues and unprepared for office. In polls before the debates, Northup led by 7 percentage points; in polls afterwards, she led by 24 points. She ran on her past performance, as well as the promise of securing funding for two new Ohio River bridges
Ohio River Bridges Project
The Ohio River Bridges Project is a controversial Louisville metropolitan area transportation project involving the reconstruction of the Kennedy Interchange , the completion of two new Ohio River bridges and the reconstruction of ramps on Interstate 65 between I-264 and downtown.One bridge will be...
and a new Veteran's Administration hospital.
Northup was endorsed by The Courier-Journal (typically seen as liberal), several local Democratic officeholders, and former state Attorney General Chris Gorman, a Democrat who ran against her for the seat in 1998.
2006
Northup was defeated for re-election to a sixth term in the 2006 congressional election. She lost to Democratic challenger John YarmuthJohn Yarmuth
John Yarmuth is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Early life, education and career :...
, former publisher and editorialist of the Louisville Eccentric Observer
Louisville Eccentric Observer
The Louisville Eccentric Observer is a free weekly newspaper , distributed every Wednesday in over 800 locations throughout the Louisville, Kentucky area, including areas of southern Indiana...
(LEO), an alternative newsweekly. Although initially considered an underdog for his lack of a political background and the potential for his views to be portrayed as strongly liberal, Yarmuth garnered 122,139 votes (51%) to Northup's 116,157 votes (48%). Third party candidates garnered 2,896 votes (1%).
The campaign was relatively civil, although ads were run calling Yarmuth a hypocrite for his statements condemning the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
as immoral while his family's restaurants paid some employees minimum wage. She also attempted to exploit Yarmuth's lengthy record in print, repeating in campaign ads some of his potentially unpopular statements (such as allegedly supporting the legalization of marijuana) and holding a press conference to complain that not all of his old columns had been made available to her campaign. Major themes of Northup's campaign was that she was independent of the then-unpopular President Bush, and that she was uniquely able to secure federal funds for Louisville projects. Due to her support for many of the President Bush's policies and her past campaigning with the president her reelection was closely watched on election night as an indicator as to how well the Democrats would do in the mid-term elections.
2007 gubernatorial campaign
On January 17, 2007 Northup entered the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary election for Governor of Kentucky. Northup's running mate was State Representative Jeff Hoover
Jeff Hoover
Jeff Hoover is currently a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives representing the 83rd district where he has served since 1996. Hoover was selected to serve as House Minority Caucus Chair in 1999, and currently serves as House Minority Leader, a position he has held since 2001...
of Jamestown, Kentucky
Jamestown, Kentucky
Jamestown is a city in, and the county seat of, Russell County, Kentucky . The area was first settled in 1826 and named Jacksonville in honor of General Andrew Jackson. By 1827 the settlement was incorporated and renamed Jamestown in honor of James Wooldridge, who had donated the land for the town...
, Republican leader in the Kentucky House. Northup received endorsements from prominent Kentucky Republicans including U.S. Senator Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
and Lt. Governor Steve Pence
Steve Pence
Stephen B. Pence was the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He took office with fellow Republican Ernie Fletcher in December 2003.-Education:...
.
After a lengthy scandal and investigation during his first term involving alleged abuses of the state's merit-based hiring system, many believed incumbent governor Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
, who sought re-election, no longer had sufficient support from either the Republican Party leadership or voters. It was released from The Courier-Journal newspaper that Anne Northup was praised as a "formidable" candidate by the state's top Republican leader, long-time U.S Senator and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, although McConnell stopped short of an endorsement of any particular candidate. Northup faced Fletcher and businessman Billy Harper in the primary.
Northup began television advertisements about six weeks before the primary election, with the slogan "The only Republican who can win in November". On May 22, 2007, Northup was defeated in the Republican primary by Fletcher. Fletcher lost in the general election to Democrat Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
.
2008 congressional campaign
On January 28, 2008, Northup announced she would run for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election. She had previously endorsed Louisville lawyer Erwin Roberts, who had planned to run, and helped raised money for him. However, Roberts withdrew from the race after learning he would likely be called to active duty in the U.S. Army Reserve. Northup defeated Bob DeVore Jr. and developer Chris Thieneman in the Republican primary. Yarmuth was not opposed in the Democratic primary.At a press conference held in front of a gas station on June 17, 2008, Northup said that the 2008 elections were about the rising price of energy.
On November 4, 2008, Northup was defeated by John Yarmuth 59% to 41%.
External links
- Northup for Congress 2008 campaign website
- opensecrets.org profile — campaign funding and other information
- Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
- FEC — contributions to Northup