Posted on 01/28/2008 5:17:27 PM PST by LdSentinal
The Politico) Former Republican congresswoman Anne Northup will be running again for her old seat in a rematch against the Democrat who ousted her, Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.).
“She’s going to jump in,” said her longtime political adviser Ted Jackson. “She starts off as a very serious challenger in this race.”
Aided by ethical scandals surrounding then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher and the unpopularity of the national GOP, Yarmuth rode the Democratic tide and defeated Northup by three points in 2006.
Since leaving Congress, she ran unsuccessfully for her party’s gubernatorial nomination against Fletcher last year. In the governor’s race, she carried her old Louisville-based district by a comfortable margin.
Northup faces a contested primary against real estate developer Chris Thieneman, who potentially could spend from his personal fortune in the campaign. Bob DeVore, a UPS employee, has also filed for the Republican primary.
The National Republican Congressional Committee commissioned a poll in the Louisville-based district earlier this month, showing Northup within striking distance of Yarmuth in a head-to-head matchup. The poll showed Yarmuth with 49 percent of the vote, while Northup tallied 47 percent.
The poll showed both candidates with strong approval ratings: 57 percent of voters viewed Northup favorably, compared to 37 percent viewing her unfavorably. Yarmuth tallied a 54 percent favorable rating, with only 27 percent disapproving.
The NRCC’s political director, Terry Carmack, previously served as Northup’s chief of staff, and played a role in convincing her to run again, according to Jackson.
"I don’t know that any specific commitment, but I’m sure they will be watching this race very closely,” Jackson said.
Great news! Anne Northup still has popularity in Louisville, including the working-class Catholic south side.
Best news I've had in a week!
Louisville has been moving to the left for the last 10-15 years. That’s one of the reasons I moved from there to South Carolina four years ago.
Anne was handicapped in her run for gov by all the scandals Ernie Fletcher got involved in. He did some damage to the pubbie party in KY.
That said, I hope Anne beats Yarmuth The Slime like a dog.
My only concern is whether some Republicans in the Louisville area may hold a resentment against Northrop for running against Ernie Fletcher in last year’s primary.
I remember (after the primary) reading about Fletcher supporters who promised to wreak revenge on Mitch McConnell for supporting Northrop. I wonder if some of them will sit on their hands rather than support Northrop?
I no longer think that’s likely, given that Fletcher lost by a margin so large, it couldn’t be blamed on McConnell or Northup. Also, Fletcher left a large budget deficit, further tarnishing his name.
IMHO, most Fletcher backers are willing to let the whole episode go.
Time to take him out indeed....GO ANNE! Take back the House!
KY. PING! :/
BLUEGRASS PING
This one should be close again. President Bush got 48% in the district in 2004, so it’s a classic marginal district.
I voted for Fletcher and not Northup in the primary but I can't imagine that the folks in Louisville would resent her for running. Most of the blame for the losing has to be shared by Fletcher and the evil and obnoxious Stumbo. Go Anne!
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