Each week, LINK nky is publishing a profile of one of our local legislators so that Northern Kentuckians can get to know the people representing them at the state level.
Rep. Savannah Maddox’s take-no-prisoners style of leadership has made her a household name in Kentucky politics within the past five years. Some have called her a firebrand. Her campaign website describes her as “many things… a patriot, a conservative, and a fighter (and) a Christian.”
Whatever the description, the Dry Ridge lawmaker’s criticisms of Gov. Andy Beshear for COVID era mandates and shutdowns have clearly resonated with constitutional conservatives and so-called Liberty Republicans who seek limited government involvement in their lives. And Maddox has promised to deliver.
“I will continue to fight every day for the individual rights and liberties of the great people of the Bluegrass State,” Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) says on her website.
There is no doubt her outspoken support for a slimmer state budget and unfettered gun rights have made her popular among some Kentucky voters. In addition to being elected to three consecutive terms as a member of the Republican majority in the Kentucky House, Maddox was emboldened to run for governor in 2022 on a platform of limiting government overreach. She dropped out of the race in Dec. 2022, but not before releasing a statement that reassured her followers that she will still be around.
“Our movement, our DEMAND for republican leadership that adheres to the Constitution and the party platform, has just begun. We’re growing, we’re watching, and we’re taking names,” Maddox said on her public Facebook page. “I give you my word to keep fighting for the principles that led me to file my letter of intent in the first place. I will not back down, and I will not waver from redefining the appropriate role of government to reflect the vision our Founders intended.
So far, that focus on “redefining the appropriate role of government” in the Kentucky House has been heavily focused gun rights and limiting what Maddox’ website calls “widespread executive overreach.”
She first made headlines in 2019 with her work to pass constitutional (or permitless) carry in Kentucky under 2019 Senate Bill 150. The bill became law, earning Maddox the .50 Caliber Freedom Award from the National Association for Gun Rights for her work on the bill.
The Northern Kentucky lawmaker’s efforts to limit Executive Branch power include 2021 House Bill 217, a bill sponsored by Maddox to limit emergency orders issued by the governor unless extended by the General Assembly. Maddox voted to limit the governor’s emergency powers with the passage of 2021 SB 1 which became law by veto override.
It remains to be seen what political aspirations Maddox has for the future. For now she has filed to run for reelection to the 61st Kentucky House seat she has held since 2019.
Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) represents the 61st Kentucky House District which includes all of Grant and Gallatin counties and part of both Boone and Kenton counties. She serves as a member of the House Small Business and Information Technology Committee, State Government Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee. Maddox is also a member of the Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection, the Interim Joint Committee on Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology, and the Interim Joint Committees on Judiciary and State Government. Additionally, she is a member of the Task Force on School and Campus Security and several legislative caucuses.