Trump-Backed Ed Gallrein Wins Kentucky's 4th District Months After Ousting Thomas Massie
Ed Gallrein, the retired Navy SEAL who ousted Rep. Thomas Massie in a bitter Republican primary, has won Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, keeping the seat in GOP hands.
Gallrein, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, defeated Democrat Melissa Strange and Libertarian Jeremy Todd in Tuesday's general election.
"The plot to flip KY-4 for the Democrat failed. Ed Gallrein wins," one conservative account posted on X after the race was called.
How Trump Took On Massie
Gallrein's path to Congress began with a feud between Trump and Massie over the president's legislative and foreign policy agenda. Trump's support mattered because Massie had repeatedly opposed administration priorities despite belonging to the president's party.
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Massie, a seven-term congressman, criticized Trump's tax legislation over deficit concerns, challenged the administration's handling of the Epstein records and opposed parts of its military operations involving Iran.
Trump answered by backing Gallrein. "Ed Gallrein has my complete and total endorsement," he told a March rally in Hebron. "Just elect him. You're going to have no problems with him."
Trump also called Gallrein "a real hero," a "Brave Combat Veteran" and a "very successful Businessman," and he attacked Massie's record in unusually personal terms while urging Republican voters to replace him.
The primary became one of the most expensive House nomination fights in American history, with outside groups spending heavily, including organizations critical of Massie's foreign policy positions and his clashes with Trump.
Gallrein won the May primary with about 54.9 percent of the vote to Massie's 45.1 percent. Certified results showed 57,822 votes for Gallrein and 47,539 for Massie, ending Massie's bid for another term.
"It was a David versus Goliath," Gallrein told Fox News afterward. "I was the underdog."
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Who Is Ed Gallrein?
Gallrein served about three decades in the Navy and rose to the rank of captain. His campaign credits him with four Bronze Stars and assignments with elite SEAL units.
He is also a fifth-generation Kentucky farmer and has leaned on his farming and small business experience. His priorities include immigration enforcement, tax cuts, Second Amendment protections, crime prevention and closer cooperation with the White House.
Massie Defended His Record
Massie, who had served since 2012, argued that principled disagreements should not be mistaken for disloyalty. He called himself a "Reagan Republican" focused on smaller government, lower taxes and constitutional freedoms, along with a military strong enough to deter conflict rather than start new wars, and he drew support from some Republicans who shared his push to release the Epstein files.
In the general election, Strange campaigned on affordability, political corruption and opposition to unwanted data center development, while Todd focused on government waste and opposing foreign conflicts.
The northern Kentucky district has consistently voted Republican, and Gallrein outraised Strange during the general election.
The result shows Trump's willingness to reshape his own party's ranks in Congress, not just battle Democrats.