"As a Kentuckian and someone who was really enthusiastic about her as a candidate, this wasn't the news I was hoping for, " Miller said.

NPR: Actress Ashley Judd Won't Run For US Senate

In the end, they both lost: Harold Rogers, a 72-year-old Kentuckian who has served on the committee since 1983, will head it come January.

ECONOMIST: The House Appropriations Committee