MAY 20, 2026
Trump-backed Ed Gallrein defeats Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky's most expensive House primary on record
Former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein defeated incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District Republican primary on Tuesday, ending Massie's time in Congress. The race became the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, with more than $32 million spent on advertising overall. Gallrein received approximately 55 percent of the vote to Massie's 45 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Gallrein's victory was the culmination of a monthlong effort by President Trump to remove Republican critics from office. Earlier in May, Trump-backed challengers ousted five Indiana state senators who had opposed his redistricting push, and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy — who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial — failed to advance to a runoff after receiving just 25 percent of the vote in his re-election race, according to the New York Times.
Trump was more personally engaged in the Kentucky race than in any other primary contest this spring, according to the Times. He visited Kentucky in March to campaign against Massie, filmed a video at the Oval Office's Resolute Desk calling Massie "the worst congressman in the history of our country," and sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the district the day before the election to campaign alongside Gallrein, a step CNN described as a "highly unusual" move for a sitting defense secretary.
Trump's political operation and pro-Israel groups together spent more than $16 million against Massie, according to Politico, which cited the tracking firm AdImpact. In his concession speech, Massie noted the support Gallrein received from pro-Israel organizations. "I would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent to concede and it took a while to find him in Tel Aviv," Massie said, according to Fox News. Massie also referenced economic conditions: "By the way, while gas is almost $5 and diesel is almost $6, they're talking about this big ballroom they're going to build," he said, per the Times.