Born in Louisville in 1948, Anne Meagher Northup was the second-oldest of 11 children. Her parents instilled in Anne the importance of faith, family, education, hard work and commitment to the community.

Anne grew up around politics; she had started campaigning at young age, walking door to door with her father, a Republican precinct captain.

Her mother's interest in economics influenced Anne to earn a bachelor's degree in economics and business from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame Indiana, after her graduation from Sacred Heart Academy.

Her time at Saint Mary's would prove fruitful from the first day in 1996. It was here that Anne met Robert Wood "Woody" Northup, who attended Notre Dame. They have been married since 1969. Woody is a successful small businessman, and together they are the parents of six children, two of whom are adopted.

Before Anne would run for office, she taught mathematics and worked at Ford Motor Company, while serving on numerous community boards and actively volunteering in the community.
It was during this time that her sister, Mary T. Meagher, who would bring the national spotlight to the Meagher family, through swimming, in 1979. At only 14 years, Mary T. would set her first world record in the 200-meter butterfly. She would improve her time two years later, a record that would stand until 2000. In the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Mary T. brought home three gold medals, sweeping the butterfly events. Mary T. would later compete in the 1988 Olympics, where she won a bronze medal.

Mary T.'s impressive accomplishments had a lasting effect on Anne, who traveled with Woody and 18 other members of the Meagher family to Los Angeles in 1984. "Nothing makes you more proud than watching the American flag being raised at a gold medal ceremony and listening to our National Anthem. Add to that the fact that it's your sister standing on that Gold Medal stand -- we were all overcome with emotion," Anne said.

Anne decided to run for the Kentucky General Assembly, where she would become a Representative for Kentucky's 32nd District in 1987, an office she would hold until 1996, when she would run for the US House of Representatives, as a representative of Kentucky's Third District.

She would continue to serve Louisville for 10 years. During her tenure in Congress, Anne was known for her straightforward, honest way of taking on tough issues. She was an aggressive advocate of education reform, social security reform and lower taxes.

In March 1998, Anne founded the House Reading Caucus, a bipartisan caucus that raises awareness about children who are failing to learn to read. The caucus researches the most effective means to promote literacy in children, and places a priority on the needs of children who are considered "most likely to fail."

In 2000, Anne was named Co-Chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, a bipartisan, bicameral caucuses focused on policies to encourage adoption and provide more children the opportunity to live in stable homes.

Throughout her Congressional tenure, Anne sat on the prestigious House Appropriations Committee, where she worked to reduce government spending, eliminate wasteful and duplicative programs, and ensure that Louisville received its fair share of federal tax dollars in return. Her intimate knowledge of the community, economics and the federal government allows her to create tailor-made solutions for the people of Louisville.