Massie Faces Gallrein in Kentucky Primary 2026 Race
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie faces Ed Gallrein on Tuesday in kentucky primary 2026, a Republican contest in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District that could determine whether he wins a rare eighth full term. Gallrein entered the race at Donald Trump's urging, and Massie is trying to hold a seat after breaking with Trump on major issues.
Massie opposed Trump's signature tax package and the war with Iran, while also leading the effort in Congress to release the files of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has also outspent Gallrein by more than two to one over the course of the campaign, even though the two started the month with similar cash on hand.
Trump's Kentucky 4th District
The race fits into a broader primary season in which Trump is backing challengers against Republicans he views as disloyal. In this district, he has a clear record of strength: Trump won about 67% of the vote there in 2024 and carried all 21 counties.
That makes the primary a direct test for Massie, who won 65% of the vote in his 2022 reelection bid and carried every county then. He ran unopposed in 2024, so Tuesday gives voters their first direct choice between him and a challenger in this cycle.
Gallrein and Massie
Gallrein is a farmer and former Navy SEAL. He is one of the names on a crowded Kentucky ballot that also includes nearly 20 candidates competing to replace Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate, with 11 Republicans and seven Democrats seeking their party's nomination.
Among the Republicans in that Senate race are Andy Barr, who has Trump's endorsement, and Daniel Cameron, a former McConnell aide who has criticized his former boss on the campaign trail. Voters in Louisville are also narrowing a nonpartisan mayoral field, where Craig Greenberg is seeking a second term against 10 other candidates.
Kentucky Polls Tuesday
Polls close at 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday. In most of Kentucky, that means 6 p.m. ET; in the Central Time Zone, polls close at 7 p.m. ET.
Only voters registered with a political party may take part in that party's primary, so Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary and Republicans cannot vote in the Democratic primary. Independent or unaffiliated voters are shut out of both party primaries, leaving registered partisans to decide a race that could shape who represents northern Kentucky in the U.S. House.
