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Trump-backed Ed Gallrein ousts Thomas Massie in Kentucky fight for US Congress seat, NBC News projects

By Reuters Reuters
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) hold a news conference to introduce their Surveillance Accountability Act, proposed legislation that would require government agencies to obtain a warrant before conducting surveillance on U.S. citizens, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) hold a news conference to introduce their Surveillance Accountability Act, proposed legislation that would require government agencies to obtain a warrant before conducting surveillance on U.S. citizens, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Jonathan Ernst Reuters

Ed Gallrein, boosted by the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, ousted incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie, a prominent Trump critic, on Tuesday to become the Republican Party's nominee to represent Kentucky's 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, NBC News projected.

Tuesday's primary vote was seen as a test of Trump's powers to persuade Republican voters to punish his critics. Massie has represented parts of northen Kentucky in the House since 2012, and has been an outspoken critic of Trump during the president's second term.

(Reporting by David Morgan and Bhargav Acharya;)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:57 PM.

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