An incumbent state lawmaker and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran are once again facing off at the polls to represent the 61st House District in Frankfort.
Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) and Jarrod Lykins of Walton are seeking the Republican nomination to the district, which covers all of Grant and Gallatin counties and parts of southern Boone and Kenton counties (including Richwood, Verona and parts of Union).
Maddox is a three-term state representative and vice chair of the Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus. She is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University and lives on a farm in Grant County with her husband, Eldon, and their two children.
Lykins, who unsuccessfully ran against Maddox in 2022, is giving it another go. Lykins is a Marine Corps veteran with three combat deployments to Afghanistan. He lives in Walton with his wife and children.
The winner of the primary election is slated to run unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.
Savannah Maddox
Maddox has established a conservative voting record in the Kentucky House.
She was named Legislative Champion for Kentucky by Americans for Prosperity, according to her campaign website. That group is a super PAC linked to Koch Industries, which has massive holdings in oil, glass, paper and other products.
Maddox has also been recognized by the American Conservative Union and the National Association of Gun Rights for her votes on certain issues, the website says.
LINK nky asked Maddox to respond to two questions about her plans if she is reelected to the 61th District House seat. These are her responses:
What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?
“I remain committed to cutting wasteful spending, lowering taxes and getting government out of the way of Kentucky’s businesses so that the economy can flourish and create well-paying jobs. I intend to bring your taxpayer dollars home to Northern Kentucky in the form of infrastructure and transportation projects, so that our region can continue to be an economic driver for the Commonwealth.”
How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?
“As vice-chair of the Northern Kentucky caucus, I will continue working alongside other like-minded Northern Kentucky representatives to ensure that your voice is heard loud and clear in Frankfort! We will NOT back down in our opposition to tolls, and we will fight to reform the certificate of need law so that citizens across the region will have more health care options.”
Jarrod Lykins
Lykins spent several years in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he worked as a combat engineer and served multiple deployments to the Middle East. Lykins’ Facebook page says he studied diplomacy and international relations at Seton Hall and international relations at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio.
LINK nky asked Lyikins to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 61th District House seat. These are his responses:
What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?
“I plan on focusing on two main issues that address huge needs in Northern Kentucky:
“Mental health and substance abuse services, especially veterans’ mental health and substance abuse, and looking for solutions that address the key needs of the veteran population. Resources in Northern Kentucky are limited especially for veterans. This hits close to the heart as I have fellow brothers who have a service related mental illness, and I know several that have taken their own lives.
“My second key concern is education. I understand that there is a large selection of private schools in Northern Kentucky but no private schools in the 61st District. There are either independent school districts (Walton Verona or Williamstown) and public schools. I am a huge proponent of vocational education; it is one of the key drivers to continued economic success, especially when we tailor that to the businesses in our communities as well as develop programs that bring in new higher paying jobs. Having those skill sets readily available will only strengthen our communities. College isn’t for everyone, and we need to support those that desire and choose a career path that doesn’t involve college.
“It is important to continue to educate our next generation. I want to ensure that we can continue to depend on our public education system, while allowing the state more control in the education process. Additionally, we need to ensure we are protecting our most valuable assets: our future generations. According to U.S News and World Report, Kentucky ranks 39th nationally. Politics need to be removed from the classroom, allowing our teachers to teach the way they best see fit to educate our children. Additionally, standardized testing needs to be eliminated so we can dedicate more of our time to teaching rather than practicing for a test. Standardized testing is an ineffective way of measuring student development, and we need to move on to another system. I’d like to see us move toward a performance-based assessment system that promotes critical-thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and the application of what students have learned to real-world situations. All of which are fundamental skills needed to be successful throughout one’s life.”
How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?
“Growing up in rural Kentucky, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the state that has given so much to my family and me. Although I do not have all the answers, I would vigilantly defend our constitutional rights, while upholding and furthering our freedoms. I want to give people a reason to believe in our government again, and, more important, I want to hopefully provide the opportunity for each and every one of us to achieve their American dream.
“I am a United States Marine Corps veteran with three combat deployments to Afghanistan. Among the many valuable lessons I learned during my service, a key takeaway was the importance of electing someone who puts their constituents first.”
