Northern Kentucky Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) dropped her bid to run for governor on Tuesday.
“Despite traveling extensively across the Commonwealth, holding a multitude of fundraisers, making thousands of phone calls, sending direct mail, and turning over every rock possible to raise the money, it is clear that we will not have the resources we need to be successful in this campaign,” Maddox said in a statement.
With Maddox dropping out, the Republican field is slimmed down to 11. That notable list includes Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Auditor Mike Harmon, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, and former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft.
In Northern Kentucky, only one candidate stands — former attorney Eric Deters.
Maddox announced her campaign in June in Burlington after teasing a “special announcement.”
The Grant County Representative has been fervent in her opposition to policies and positions set forth by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and received support from self-described liberty Republicans in Kentucky to run for the state’s top seat.
“I believe that Kentuckians, by and large, are god-fearing people who just want to live a peaceful, prosperous life in which they are free from undue interference from their government,” Maddox said in her speech in June at the Little Britain Carriage House in Burlington.
She picked up an endorsement from 4th District Congressman Thomas Massie along the way.
“Kentucky needs a leader who will stand up to federal efforts to control every aspect of our businesses, our energy sources, our farms, our health, and our families,” Massie said in August. “Kentucky needs a governor like Ron Desantis, and Savannah Maddox is that person.”
Maddox won reelection to her state House seat in November, and it’s unclear if she’ll consider another run for a statewide position.
“I believe, to my core, that the citizens of Kentucky would choose to elect a candidate with the platform we have presented,” Maddox said in her statement. “However, I cannot allow the principles that we have fought for to seemingly be rejected at the ballot box simply because the candidate espousing them does not have the ability to self-fund a multimillion-dollar campaign and lacks the financial resources to get the message out to ALL of Kentucky’s primary voters.”
