Six states held primaries on May 19 in a “mini-Super Tuesday.” Kentucky’s top contest featured incumbent Thomas Massie, a libertarian Republican congressman, losing his seat to farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. The race became the most expensive congressional primary in history, driven by Massie’s national grassroots base and Gallrein’s heavy funding from pro-Israel groups angered by Massie’s attacks on Gaza and Iran wars. President Trump campaigned in person for Gallrein and demanded Massie’s removal, citing Massie’s opposition to major legislation and his role in forcing release of the Epstein Files. Gallrein won comfortably despite Massie’s support from Rand Paul. Trump’s Senate successor pick Andy Barr won his Kentucky primary, while Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger finished third in the gubernatorial primary.
"Six states held primaries on May 19 in what some observers called a “mini-Super Tuesday.” The headline contest was in Kentucky, where hardcore libertarian Republican congressman and Trump tormenter Thomas Massie lost his seat to farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. It was the most expensive primary in congressional history, with the seven-term incumbent drawing on a national grassroots base and Gallrein benefiting from heavy spending by pro-Israel groups angry at Massie's attacks on the Gaza and Iran wars."
"Most conspicuously, the challenger had the robust support of President Trump, who campaigned in person for Gallrein and made it clear Massie had to go. Massie had antagonized the president and House Speaker Mike Johnson on a broad range of foreign and domestic issues (he even voted against last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act). But his biggest sin in Trump's eyes was his major role in the legislation that forced release of the Epstein Files. Gallrein won by a comfortable majority despite Massie's active support from fellow libertarian heretic and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul."
"In Kentucky, Trump's pick to succeed his long-time frenemy Mitch McConnell in the Senate, House Freedom Caucus stalwart Andy Barr, easily won his primary. Another long-time Republican irritant to Trump, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, finished a poor third in the gubernatorial primary. Raffensperger, who famously certified and then refused to reverse Joe Biden's close 2020 victory in the state, survived a Trump purge attempt in 2022, but never got traction this time around."
Read at Intelligencer
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