State Rep. Maddox to make “big announcement.” Is she running for governor?

State Rep. Savannah Maddox is an intense critic of Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and next Monday, she may be announcing a bid to unseat him herself.

The Dry Ridge Republican posted to her social media accounts that a “big announcement” is coming on Monday, June 6. Her campaign website calls it “a special announcement about the future of Kentucky.”

For months, Maddox has been mentioned among a potentially crowded field of Republicans planning a run for governor next year. Already, state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, and state Auditor Mike Harmon have already announced their campaigns for the 2023 Republican gubernatorial primary, as has local former attorney Eric Deters. Other candidates are also reportedly considering a run.

The June 6 announcement follows previous comments from Maddox that she is strongly considering a bid for the state’s top seat.

When asked last month if she was planning to run for governor, Maddox said she was focused on her campaign to be renominated as the Republican candidate in House District 61. She easily won her primary on May 17. 

“I have been absolutely humbled by the amount of support that I’ve received as I’ve traveled across the Commonwealth and encouragement to run for governor, and it’s something that I’m seriously considering,” Maddox said earlier this month. “However, right now, my focus is making sure that I am fulfilling the role that has been entrusted to me by the citizens in the 61st House District, and I’m focused on this race in it to win it, but as far as the future I want to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth in any way.” 

Since being elected as state representative in 2018, Maddox has built a political brand that includes aggressive support of firearms and during the COVID-19 pandemic was a leading critic of steps taken by Gov. Beshear aimed at mitigating the virus’s spread.

As a member of Kentucky legislature, she is part of an overwhelming Republican supermajority in both chambers, but has also fought against members of her own party.

“I think that Kentuckians have put their trust in Republicans and expect them to lead from the front on the issues,” Maddox said. “I don’t think that even though we have a supermajority of 105 out of 138 seats in the general assembly, that Kentuckians are satisfied with the extent to which Republicans have defended conservative values.” 

Maddox has come under criticism, however. She was a speaker at COVID-19 rallies during the pandemic at the Kentucky statehouse, one of which led to supporters hanging an effigy of Gov. Beshear from a capitol tree. This led to Kentucky House Democrats calling for censure of the lawmaker, who was in her first term at the time. 

During the 2022 primary season, a dark-money group from Washington D.C. challenged Maddox’s conservative values by sending campaign mailers to residents in her district that led with the headline “Questionable Conservativism.”

A dark-money group refers to any group spending money on political campaigns that operate under a nonprofit umbrella that allows them not to report their political donors. This allows them to receive unlimited donations from any groups.

“It’s clearly a dark money group, and the emails are being sent out of Washington, D.C., but the hunch that I have is that it would possibly be related to vaccine mandate legislation potentially, but I have nothing confirmed in terms of who was behind this organization,” Maddox said last month. “I just hope to get to the bottom of it.” 

Maddox introduced House Bill 28 during the 2022 General Assembly session.

“Had the bill passed, it would’ve disallowed public and post-secondary institutions from requiring the disclosure of immunization status with regard to COVID-19,” Maddox said during a committee meeting in March. The last two provisions in the bill would’ve banned “vaccine passports and protect privacy rights” and would allow parents to opt-out of the COVID vaccine based on conscientious objection. 

Maddox also has been a fervent supporter firearm legislation and the further loosening gun laws in Kentucky. Two bills filed during this year’s session would have seen the concealed carry age drop from 21 to 18, and the second would’ve banned “gun-free” zones. 

“I don’t see where it is appropriate to allow these types of infringements on our Second Amendment rights,” Maddox told LINK nky in January. “I think that that is what we have seen in so much as post-secondary institutions, in particular, have restricted the rights of people to bear arms.” 

Maddox’s event is set for 6 p.m. Monday, June 6 at the Little Britain Carriage House in Burlington.

“I think that we have to focus on electing authentic conservatives for our constitutional rights and freedoms,” Maddox said previously.