Northup To Make A Political Comeback Against Yarmuth

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.