Ed Gallrein won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday (May 20, 2026), defeating incumbent Representative Thomas Massie. Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL, was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who backed him after Massie broke with him on issues including the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The primary result sets up Gallrein to represent the GOP on the November ballot in the district that stretches across northern Kentucky. The result showed Trump’s persisting influence over GOP voters, adding to a growing number of Trump-backed primary challengers to defeat Republican lawmakers who angered him in his second term.Massie says his race, which "started out as an election, turned into a movement." The Kentucky congressman claimed in his speech after his defeat that young voters were still on his side. “People that want somebody that will go along to get along—I've never heard of that strategy, but that seems to be what the voters want,” Massie said, as quoted by news agency AP. “But not the young voters.” Trump celebrated Gallrein’s win over Massie on Truth Social.Who is Ed Gallrein?Ed Gallrein, a fifth‑generation Kentucky farmer, built his career on military service before entering politics. Inspired by President Ronald Reagan, he joined the Navy and spent three decades as a SEAL officer, rising to the rank of captain. Gallrein served multiple deployments worldwide, including assignments with SEAL Team Six, and earned four Bronze Stars for leadership in combat.His unit received two Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism, and he was awarded the Combat Parachute Badge for actions in a combat zone.Trump’s Rift With Kentucky Rep. Thomas MassieRep. Thomas Massie, who has represented Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District since 2012, lost the Republican nomination after clashing repeatedly with President Donald Trump. Massie angered Trump by opposing his signature tax legislation over concerns about the national debt, pressing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and denouncing military action in Iran.Trump responded by backing Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL who emphasized his military service and loyalty to the president while avoiding public appearances on the campaign trail. Gallrein accused Massie of abandoning Trump and the party, and his victory positions him as the favorite in November in the solidly Republican district.Massie has long styled himself as an independent voice, winning reelection despite Trump’s past calls to oust him. But this year, he acknowledged to the Associated Press that the primary was “by far the most challenging reelection I’ve ever faced,” in a district Trump carried by 35 points in 2024.