Northup, Anne Meagher, 1948-

Anne Meagher Northup (born January 22, 1948) is an American politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A member of the Republican Party, she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1997 to 2007, where she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Born Anne Meagher in Louisville, Kentucky, she was raised in the Louisville suburb of St. Matthews. Northup was educated at Sacred Heart Academy and Saint Mary's College, earning a bachelor's degree in economics and business. In college she met Robert (Woody) Northup, and the two married in 1969. The couple settled in Louisville, where Anne worked as a math teacher. Northup’s first campaign for elective office was in a 1987 special election for a seat in the Kentucky legislature, representing a Louisville district in the state house of representatives. She won and was re-elected to four additional terms, serving from 1987 to 1996.

In 1996 Northup challenged one-term Democratic incumbent Mike Ward for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisville. The district, which overlapped with portions of Northup’s state legislature district, covered the larger Louisville and Jefferson County area, where registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans two-to-one. Northup, who opposed abortion and same-sex marriage, won the support of social conservatives. She also pledged to reduce government spending. Northup narrowly won election. As a former teacher and a mother of six, Northup prioritized education reform during her time in the House. Her seat on the Appropriations Committee allowed her to bring millions of federal dollars to her district to support infrastructure improvements and community organizations. Owing to disaffection with the Republican-led Congress, Northup lost her 2006 re-election bid to John Yarmuth. A bid for the Republican nomination to be Governor of Kentucky fell short as did a rematch against Yasrmuth in 2008.

On July 30, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Northup to a seat on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7. The seat was a Republican seat by statute and Northup was the choice of the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. She was one of the few government regulators who had previously served in Congress. She left the Commission on October 26, 2012. In 2013 she joined a private law firm as a policy advisor.