Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie has lost his Republican primary for the state’s 4th Congressional District, losing to Trump-endorsed challenger and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the incumbent’s loss proves President Donald Trump’s persisting influence over Republican party voters.
Rep. Massie’s loss now adds to the list of several other GOP members who have lost to Trump-backed challengers, including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and several Indiana state senators who opposed President Trump on congressional redistricting efforts.
Massie Concedes
“We stirred up something. There is a yearning in this country for someone who will vote for principles over party,” Massie said in a speech following his loss.
“Welcome to the most expensive congressional primary ever in the 250-year history of this country. It’s not just the most expensive; this thing went on longer than Vietnam,” Massie said. “It started nine months ago, and they didn’t even have a candidate, and they decided they wanted to take me out.”
“If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule,” Congressman Massie said, criticizing the U.S. Congress’s unrelenting allegiance to President Trump. But if lawmakers follow the Constitution, “we have a Republic.”
Gallrein's Winning Speech
"I want to thank President Trump for his support, his endorsement, and his counsel as I navigated this campaign, which is a journey of unto itself, and for his courageous leadership of our nation at this critical time," Gallrein shared in his winning speech.
"The winner of the race tonight is not so much Ed Gallrein, I’ll come back to that, but it’s the Republicans of Kentucky congressional district four and their families, who I will be a champion for in Washington," the Navy veteran said. "They’re the winners."
President Trump’s pressure campaign against the incumbent triumphed.
As reported by the New York Times, Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District Republican Primary has been the ‘most expensive House primary in recent years,’ with Gallrein receiving tremendous support from President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and nearly $33 million spent on ads and other media.
