Elections

Thomas Massie Loses, Proving That Deficit Hawks and Foreign Policy Doves Aren't Welcome in Trump's GOP

If this is how the Republican Party treats the libertarian-leaning lawmakers in its midst, then libertarians should take note and act accordingly.

Eric Boehm | 5.19.2026 8:02 PM

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(Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom)

Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), the libertarian-adjacent lawmaker who clashed with President Donald Trump over spending, tariffs, wars, and the Epstein files, was defeated in Tuesday's primary election by Ed Gallrein, a Trump-backed challenger.

The Associated Press called the race shortly before 8 p.m., with Gallrein leading Massie by about 10 points with nearly three-quarters of the vote reported.

The contest was widely regarded as the most expensive primary election in congressional history. More than $32 million was spent on the race, much of it by pro-Trump and pro-Israel groups that sought to give Massie the boot.

Clearly, the stakes here were higher than just determining a spot on the November ballot in Kentucky's 4th congressional district, a deep red stretch along the state's northern frontier.

Tuesday's........

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