Anne Meagher Northup

Anne Meagher Northup (born January 22, 1948) is an American Republican politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky who represented Kentucky’s Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1997, to January 3, 2007. Over the course of five terms in Congress, she was a member of the Republican Party and contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of her constituents. During her tenure, she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and became one of the wealthiest members of the House of Representatives, ranking 34th out of 435 members based on financial disclosure statements for the 2006 campaign, with assets reported in the range of $4.4 million to $15.9 million.

Northup was born Anne Meagher on January 22, 1948. She grew up in Kentucky and later pursued higher education, preparing for a career that combined public service and education. She became an educator and settled in Louisville, Kentucky, which would remain the center of her political base. Her early professional life and community involvement helped establish her reputation as a civic-minded Republican in a city and district that often leaned Democratic, laying the groundwork for her later electoral success.

Before her election to the United States House of Representatives, Northup served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. In that role, she gained legislative experience and developed a profile as a Republican leader within the state, representing her Louisville-area constituency in the state legislature. Her work in the Kentucky House provided her with familiarity in state-level policymaking and constituent service, positioning her as a viable candidate for national office when the opportunity arose.

In 1996, Northup was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky’s 3rd congressional district, centered on Louisville, and she took office on January 3, 1997. Despite the Democratic leanings of the district, she won re-election four times, serving a total of five consecutive terms. While in Congress from 1997 to 2007, she served on the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most influential committees in the chamber, where she participated in shaping federal spending priorities. Her decade in Congress coincided with major national events and policy debates, and she was an active participant in the legislative process on behalf of her Louisville constituents and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Northup’s congressional career came to a close following the 2006 election. In that year, she narrowly lost her bid for a sixth term to Democrat John Yarmuth, who defeated her in the general election for the 3rd district. Her defeat ended a ten-year tenure in the House during which she had consistently held a competitive seat in a district that often favored Democrats. At the time of this campaign, her financial disclosures for the 2006 race underscored her status as one of the wealthier members of Congress, with assets estimated between $4.4 million and $15.9 million.

After leaving Congress, Northup turned her attention to statewide office. On January 17, 2007, she entered the Republican primary election for Governor of Kentucky. She selected State Representative Jeff Hoover of Jamestown, Kentucky, the Republican leader in the Kentucky House, as her running mate for lieutenant governor. Her candidacy attracted support from prominent Kentucky Republicans, including endorsements from U.S. Senator Jim Bunning and Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence. In the context of a lengthy scandal and investigation during Governor Ernie Fletcher’s first term involving alleged abuses of the state’s merit-based hiring system, many observers believed Fletcher no longer had sufficient support from Republican Party leadership or voters. The Courier-Journal reported that Northup was praised as a “formidable” candidate by U.S. Senator and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the state’s top Republican figure, although McConnell declined to endorse any specific candidate. Northup faced incumbent Governor Ernie Fletcher and businessman Billy Harper in the Republican primary. She began television advertising about six weeks before the primary, using the slogan “The only Republican who can win in November.” On May 22, 2007, she was defeated in the Republican primary by Fletcher, who subsequently lost the general election to Democrat Steve Beshear.

Northup remained active in electoral politics following her gubernatorial bid. On January 28, 2008, she announced that she would run for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election. She had previously endorsed Louisville lawyer Erwin Roberts for the race and helped raise money for his prospective campaign, but Roberts withdrew after learning he would likely be called to active duty in the U.S. Army Reserve. With the field open, Northup entered the Republican primary and defeated Bob DeVore Jr. and developer Chris Thieneman to secure the nomination. During the 2008 campaign, she emphasized economic issues, and at a press conference held in front of a gas station on June 17, 2008, she stated that the 2008 elections were about the rising price of energy. In the general election on November 4, 2008, she was again defeated by incumbent Democrat John Yarmuth, who won by a larger margin than in 2006, prevailing 59 percent to 41 percent.

In the years following her congressional and gubernatorial campaigns, Northup has been regarded as a significant Republican figure in modern Kentucky politics, particularly noted for her ability to compete repeatedly and often successfully in a Democratic-leaning district. Her decade of service in the U.S. House of Representatives, her prior tenure in the Kentucky House of Representatives, and her high-profile statewide campaign for governor reflect a career marked by persistent engagement in public life and the legislative process on behalf of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.