Can Republican Rep. Thomas Massie win one of the toughest primaries of his political career as he faces the fury of President Donald Trump alongside the president’s backed opponent?
Rep. Massie, who has been a constant thorn in the side of Republican leaders for highlighting issues that other politicians usually want to bury, is set to compete in the GOP primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
He represented Kentucky’s 4th congressional district in the House for eight terms.
Massie has openly expressed his opposition to the US war on Iran and has repeatedly highlighted the issue of the Epstein files, prompting President Trump to choose his opponent in an effort to unseat the Republican politician.
The 55-year-old politician will run for office against former Navy SEAL and fifth-generation farmer Ed Gallrein in the most expensive primary in history in terms of ad spending.
According to AdlImpact, ad spending during the primaries exceeded a whopping $32 million, most of it donated and spent by pro-Trump and pro-Israel organizations for negative ads against Massie, reports NBC News.
In an interview with the outlet, Massie said, “People aren’t going to vote for me or him on election day. They’re either going to vote for me or they’re going to vote against me.”
