Primary elections: Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein in high-stakes race
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Primary elections: Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein in high-stakes race")
Attendees gather an during a primary election night event for U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on May 19, 2026 in Hebron, Kentucky. Photograph: (AFP)
Donald Trump-backed Ed Gallrein defeated Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s costly GOP primary elections, signaling Trump’s continued dominance
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal Republican critics, lost his re-election bid to a Trump-backed primary challenger in a major political victory for the president. The result underscored Trump’s continued influence over Republican voters and his ability to punish rivals within the party. Trump and his allies had aggressively targeted Massie, who publicly broke with the president over the Iran war and the Epstein files.
Trump recruited former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein to challenge the congressman, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned for Gallrein in the final stretch of the race. The contest eventually turned into a $33 million battle, making it one of the most expensive House primaries in recent years. The Kentucky race was among several closely watched contests taking place Tuesday across Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Oregon. The elections were viewed as a key test of Trump’s endorsement power at a time when he is facing declining approval ratings, rising gas prices, and criticism over the war in Iran.
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Trump secured another major win in Kentucky as Representative Andy Barr comfortably won the Republican Senate primary to replace retiring Senator Mitch McConnell.
The president was already turning his attention to Texas. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate primary runoff against Senator John Cornyn, a move that reportedly frustrated several Republican senators.
Polls closed Tuesday evening in Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, while voting continued in Idaho and Oregon. In Alabama, Trump backed Representative Barry Moore in a contested Senate primary. In Kentucky, Trump had also intervened earlier this month by urging Nate Morris, a rival to Andy Barr, to exit the Senate race and instead serve as an ambassador. Barr went on to defeat Daniel Cameron, the former state attorney general, once considered a protege of Mitch McConnell.
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Meanwhile, in Georgia’s governor race, Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who faced a wealthy billionaire challenger. Georgia Republicans also voted to select a challenger to Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, while Pennsylvania Democrats cast ballots in several House races they hope to flip in November.
