Republican Rep. Thomas Massie will lose his reelection bid to Ed Gallrein, who was backed by President Donald Trump, in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, ABC Information tasks.
A conservative libertarian, Massie has been the topic of Trump’s ire, given his push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, his vote against the president’s sweeping home tax coverage laws and his vocal opposition to the Iran war.
Rep. Thomas Massie in Washington Sept. 17, 2025 and Republican congressional candidate for Kentucky, Ed Gallrein in Covington, Ky., April 30, 2026.
AP
Trump instructed reporters on the White Home Congressional Picnic Tuesday night, “On the Massie factor: He was a foul man. He deserves to lose.”
Chatting with supporters Tuesday evening, Massie mentioned, “We weren’t actually working towards Ed Gallrein, we weren’t working towards Donald Trump. We have been working for what we imagine in.”
Gallrein credited the president for his win.
“I will maintain this brief. I wish to thank President Trump for his assist, his endorsement, and his counsel as I navigated this marketing campaign, which is a journey of unto itself, and for his brave management of our nation at this important time, I wish to emphasize that this important time and juncture in historical past. Thanks, Mr. President,” Gallrein mentioned.
Trump endorsed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and a fifth-generation farmer, earlier than he even launched his bid for Congress, and the president admitted that he was keen to assist nearly anybody so as to oust Massie.
“I needed simply — give me any person with a heat physique to beat Massie, and I acquired any person with a heat physique, however an enormous, lovely mind and an incredible patriot,” Trump mentioned alongside Gallrein earlier this yr.
The race is the most costly Home main in historical past: $32.6 million was spent in promoting and advert reservations, in response to AdImpact.
Rep. Andy Barr in Fancy Farm, Ky., Aug. 2, 2025 and Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Cameron in Louisville, Might 12, 2026.
AP/Getty Photos
On the Senate facet, ABC Information tasks that Trump-backed Rep. Andy Barr will win the Republican main as voters weighed in on who will succeed Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the previous Senate majority chief and the state’s longest-serving senator who’s retiring after greater than 40 years in Congress.
Barr was dealing with former lawyer normal and former gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron.
Each candidates have previous ties to McConnell, although they’ve made clear makes an attempt to distance themselves from the senator, who represents institution Republicanism.
Trump waded into the race earlier this month, asking businessman Nate Morris to step apart and take a task within the administration and backing Barr. Morris’ identify remained on the poll, however his votes won’t be counted, in response to the Kentucky Secretary of State.
The Kentucky State Capitol Constructing in Frankfort, Kentucky.
STOCK PHOTO/Getty Photos
State significance
Kentucky has sided with Trump for the previous three presidential elections, with Trump successful the state by 30 factors in 2024.
The predominantly purple state is led by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who was first elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023. However Kentucky has not seen a Democratic senator since Wendell Ford, who served from 1974 to 1999.
