COVINGTON — Republican voters in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday ousted U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, handing a decisive primary victory to President Donald Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein in the most expensive U.S. House primary contest in American history.
Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer, defeated the seven-term incumbent after a monthslong campaign fueled by more than $25 million in outside spending and direct involvement from Trump, who repeatedly targeted Massie over his opposition to parts of the president’s agenda.
The race drew national attention as a test of whether dissent against Trump could still survive within the modern Republican Party. Massie, a libertarian-minded conservative, frequently broke with Trump over military action against Iran, government spending and transparency surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files.
According to AdImpact figures cited during the campaign, more than $25.6 million was spent on television, radio and digital advertising in the race, surpassing previous records for a congressional primary.
Unofficial results showed turnout in the district reached 104,071 votes cast in the 2026 Republican primary — an unusually high figure that nearly doubled the district’s turnout during the 2024 election cycle, when 52,593 votes were cast. The 2026 primary turnout exceeded the district’s participation during the last presidential election year, underscoring the intense national focus and mobilization surrounding the contest.
Trump personally campaigned against Massie, labeling him disloyal and dispatching top political advisers to help direct a super PAC supporting Gallrein. The outside group flooded the district with advertisements portraying Massie as out of step with the Make America Great Again movement.
Massie argued throughout the campaign that he remained aligned with principles traditionally associated with Trump’s earlier political message, including opposition to foreign wars, deficit spending and government secrecy.
The congressman also highlighted his role in advancing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation that forced the Justice Department to release millions of documents tied to its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Massie and his allies argued the campaign against him was retaliation for successfully moving the bill through Congress.
Gallrein centered his campaign on support for Trump and pledged to back the president’s agenda in Congress.
Massie’s defeat places him among a growing list of Republican officeholders who have either lost primaries, retired or been politically marginalized after clashing with Trump.
The Kentucky race was part of the largest primary night of the year so far, with voters also casting ballots in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho.
