Former Republican Rep. Anne Northup will file for her old seat today, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, setting up a grudge match with Democrat John Yarmuth in Kentucky's 3rd District. Yarmuth defeated Northup 51%-48% in 2006 to take back the Louisville-Jefferson County based seat for Democrats.

Northup's first four elections were close, running against relatively well-funded candidates in a district that Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry all won in the last three presidential elections. In 2006, Northup's campaign faced challenges both political -- she fell victim to the national anti-incumbent mood that swept the country -- and the personal, when one of her six children unexpectedly passed away. After the death, she suspended her campaign for six weeks.

After her defeat, Northup mounted an ultimately unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for governor last year, losing 50%-37% to scandal-tainted Ernie Fletcher, the incumbent who was soundly beaten by the Democratic nominee in November. Before deciding to enter the race this year, Northup had been supporting Republican Erwin Roberts, who recently pulled out because of the likelihood his Army Reserve unit would be activated.

Those who follow Kentucky politics say Northup will be aided by Senator Mitch McConnell's run for re-election this year, especially if no Democrat emerges as a strong challenger. McConnell, who had nearly $7 million in the bank by the end of the 3rd quarter, will spend heavily, especially in Yarmuth's district. The two are close politically -- McConnell did not back incumbent Fletcher while Northup was challenging him -- and the seat returning to the Republican fold is good for GOP candidates running at all levels. McConnell, who hails from Louisville, would certainly like to be represented by a Republican in Congress as well.

In her latest financial disclosure with the FEC, Northup reported having less than $10,000 cash on hand. In 2006, she spent about $3.4 million to Yarmuth's $2.2 million. Through September of last year, Yarmuth had banked an impressive $610,000. He has no reason to worry about money anyway -- he donates his congressional paycheck to charity.

-- Kyle Trygstad