US Rep Massie loses Republican primary after Trump, pro-Israel groups dump tens of millions into race

Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Kentucky Republican primary Tuesday after facing sweeping opposition from pro-Israel groups and US President Donald Trump.

Challenger Ed Gallrein emerged victorious, according to the Associated Press' tally. With roughly 85% of the votes counted, Gallrein claimed some 55% of the vote to Massie's 45%.

"I would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede, and it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv," Massie told supporters as he conceded defeat. "For 14 years, those SOBs in Washington tried to buy my vote. They couldn't buy it. Why did the race get so expensive? Because they decided to buy the seat, and it got real expensive for 'em."

The race garnered unusual national attention due to Trump's endorsement of Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL turned Republican politician, as the US president sought to oust a key politician he accused of disloyalty.

"The worst Congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party, is Thomas Massie. He is an obstructionist and a fool. Vote him out of office tomorrow, Tuesday," Trump said in a Monday Truth Social post.

The US president also sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Kentucky to campaign for Gallrein on Monday in a move that has raised major questions of legality.

Behind the scenes, pro-Israel political groups dumped millions of dollars into the race to unseat Massie, a Republican who has staunchly rejected foreign aid being sent to other nations, including to Israel.

That funding has largely been the basis for creating what has been the most expensive House primary on record. Nearly $35 million was spent in the race, the vast majority of which came from pro-Israel groups, according to Al Jazeera.

“You can tell that I’m ahead in the polls, and they’re desperate,” Massie said during an interview with ABC News on Sunday. “That’s why they’re sending the secretary of war to my district tomorrow. That’s why the president’s losing sleep and tweeting about this. That’s why AIPAC has dumped another $3 million into my race this weekend.”

The United Democracy Project, the elections arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spent over $4.1 million in the race, according to elections data reviewed by Al Jazeera. The RJC Victory Fund, a wing of the Republican Jewish Coalition, spent an additional $3.9 million.

AIPAC Tracker, a group that monitors donations from pro-Israel groups and individuals, estimates that Gallrein received over $15.5 million from pro-Israel political action committees (PACs).

"Massie has stood alone among House Republicans in opposing aid to our ally Israel, voting against bipartisan resolutions condemning antisemitism, and, in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack — the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust — Massie voted against emergency assistance for Israel as it fought a war for its very survival," the RJC said on the US social media platform X.

"His record is indefensible, and tonight, the Republican primary voters of Kentucky held him accountable," it added.

The Trump-linked MAGA KY super PAC spent over $7 million more in the race, mostly on anti-Massie ads, according to multiple reports.

Taken together, all of the outside funding made the House primary the most expensive in history.