Retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein defeated Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie in the GOP primary Tuesday after receiving the endorsement of President Donald Trump and millions of dollars in outside spending.
Gallrein won the primary — ending Massie’s 14-year career in Congress — by a 9-point margin, 54.4% to 45.6%, the Associated Press reported with 74% of the vote in. Trump successfully orchestrated the ouster of Massie, who became a political enemy of the president’s over his multiple votes against the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, his calls to release the files surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and his criticism of the Iran war.
Massie and Gallrein were neck-and-neck in polls leading up to the election, though Gallrein climbed in the polls just days before the election after Massie’s ex-girlfriend accused him of participating in a hush money scheme.
The two candidates launched outright attacks and accusations against each other. A pro-Gallrein super PAC ad featured an artificial intelligence-generated (AI) Massie holding hands with Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, accusing him of “cheating with The Squad on the America First movement.” Massie’s campaign released ads attacking Gallrein as “woke Eddie” and questioning his conservative credentials on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), immigration and transgender issues.
More than $32 million has been spent on advertisements in the race, making it the most expensive primary in U.S. House history. The American Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other pro-Israel lobbying groups spent over $9 million in mostly independent expenditures to oust Massie.
Gallrein received over $63,000 in direct PAC donations from groups such as the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP), and over $11.8 million from independent expenditures. Anti-Massie groups spent over $15 million in independent expenditures, while the Kentucky 4th PAC, Make Liberty Win, Defeating Communism PAC and other groups spent over $10 million in independent expenditures in support of Massie.
MAGA Kentucky, a pro-Trump super PAC, spent over $7 million in independent expenditures in an attempt to oust Massie, according to Decision Desk HQ. The super PAC received $750,000 from the Preserve America PAC, which is tied to billionaire megadonor Miriam Adelson. Another billionaire donor, Paul Singer, also directly donated $1 million to MAGA Kentucky and donated an additional $2.5 million to AIPAC-affiliated super PACs.
Republican Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr — the Trump-endorsed candidate running to represent Kentucky in the Senate — and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Gallrein over Massie.
Trump has previously lambasted Massie, calling him a “complete and total disaster” during a rally in Hebron, Kentucky, in March. He also called Massie a “moron” during the National Prayer Breakfast in February while the congressman fought for the release of the Epstein files.
Massie has represented Kentucky’s fourth congressional district since Nov. 6, 2012, when he won a special election to replace former Republican Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis.
Despite Trump’s efforts to ramp up the primary challenge, Massie raked in over $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2026, many of it coming from first-time donors.
The rift between Trump and Massie escalated in June 2025, when Massie argued that Trump’s strikes in Iran were unconstitutional. He also repeatedly criticized the administration’s involvement in the Iran war which began in Feb. 28, highlighting on May 4 that Israel “forced our hand and dragged us” into the war.
Trump also opposed Massie became of his leading role in forcing a House vote on a discharge petition to release the Epstein files. Trump staunchly opposed the discharge petition and even pressured Republicans Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina to remove their names from the petition.
Just days before the election, Massie’s ex-girlfriend Cynthia West accused him of offering her $5,000 in exchange for her not speaking out against Republican Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz, who she said had fostered a toxic work environment. West worked as a congressional aide in Spartz’s office at the time.
During a May 6 interview, Massie told Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson that the Israeli lobby was spending heavily to oust him from his congressional seat.
Surveys found mixed results ahead of the election. A Big Data Poll survey from April 8 found Massie ahead 52.4 to 47.6 percent. One day following the hush money allegations against Massie, a Quantus Insights political poll found Gallrein leading Massie 48.3% to 43.1%. The latest poll from Quantus Insights found 53% of respondents planned to support Gallrein and 45% planned to back Massie.
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