GOP Rep. Savannah Maddox drops out of governor’s race while Rep. Buddy Wheatley vies for new office
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Two Northern Kentucky politicians recently announced their 2023 plans for state office. Republican state House Rep. Savannah Maddox announced she’s no longer running for governor while Democrat state House Rep. Buddy Wheatley says he’s running for Secretary of State.
The announcements follows election results in which Maddox easily won reelection in District 61, which covers Boone, Gallatin, Grant and Kenton counties.
Wheatley lost his reelection bid for state House to Republican Stephanie Dietz. He’s represented District 65 since 2019, but Republicans in Frankfort made his district far more challenging during redistricting. He lost reelection by less than 300 votes.
No means to ‘self-fund a multimillion dollar campaign’
In an online statement, Maddox wrote finances and an inability for her to reach all Kentuckians was the reason she withdrew.
“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,” she said in the statement.
Maddox has been a vocal critic of Governor Andy Beshear, a first-term Democrat. On her candidate website, she said his actions are that of a tyrant and accuses him of attacking “small businesses, communities, and Kentucky values.”
Her withdrawal still leaves Beshear going up against more than a dozen people in the Governor’s race, including controversial Kenton County candidate Eric Deters.
Wheatley want to ‘boost election turnout’
Rep. Buddy Wheatley announced he’s running for secretary of state, saying he wants to boost election turnout throughout the state.
His website says he's committed to increasing accessibility to polling locations, hiring more poll workers and creating more polling locations.
He was elected twice to state house after serving for decades as a firefighter in Covington before becoming a lawyer.
Republican Michael Adams took office in 2020 and announced his reelection bid this summer.
The filing deadline for the office is Jan. 6.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY state Reps Savannah Maddox, Buddy Wheatley announce 2023 plans
