- Massie participated in a Northern Kentucky forum after challenger Ed Gallrein did not attend.
- He emphasized fiscal responsibility, transparency in Congress and limiting federal power.
- The GOP primary is May 19, with polling showing Massie leading Gallrein.
GOP Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky’s 4th District fielded questions at a Republican forum in Erlanger on Saturday that proceeded without his primary challenger.
In what was originally billed as a forum for both Massie and challenger Ed Gallrein, the event became more of a speaking engagement for Massie, as Gallrein was not present.
Throughout the event, Massie addressed questions about his views, policy prescriptions and alignment with President Donald Trump. Massie, first elected in 2012, positioned himself as a legislator who values principle over party, even when that stance leads to conflict with Republicans, including the president.
Conversely, Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Army Ranger, is closely aligned with Trump, receiving the president’s endorsement last October. During Trump’s visit to Northern Kentucky in March, he campaigned alongside Gallrein, bringing him onstage at his rally.
During the event’s introduction, Richard Nelson, the moderator and executive director of the Commonwealth Policy Center, a conservative think tank based in Frankfort, said that Gallrein’s campaign did not respond to invitations for the event.
“We double checked this morning just to see if anything changed. But that is not the case,” said Nelson.
The Northern Kentucky Young Republicans —one of the organizations that hosted the event alongside the CPC, Northern Kentucky Tea Party and Boone County Republican Party—stated in a Facebook post after the event that Gallrein had declined to participate.
“Ed Gallrein was invited not only to this forum, where he would’ve had to answer the same questions, but declined to participate as he has every other forum,” read the post. “He has further, for several months, had an open invitation to an event we would have hosted for him and him alone.”
A flyer that circulated online prior to the event showed that Massie confirmed his participation, while Gallrein had been invited.
LINK nky reached out to the Gallrein campaign for clarification, but as of this posting, has not received a response.
Massie criticized Gallrein for not participating in campaign events set up for both candidates, accusing him of hiding from voters.
“This is not how you get to know people,” he told LINK nky. “You can’t hide on your farm or in your basement and then drop into a Dairy Queen with 30 minutes notice, and call it a campaign event. We got to tell people where you’re going to be, look them in the eye, take questions. I really think he’s not catching on. And I think this is his problem, he’s afraid to show up.”
While speaking, Massie, an ideological libertarian, emphasized fiscal responsibility, warning about the growing national debt and excessive government spending. Furthermore, he advocated greater transparency in Congress, proposing that omnibus bills be broken into individual votes.
He also expressed support for banning or regulating stock trading by members of Congress, reforming election procedures to restrict mail-in voting and reducing federal influence in areas such as education.
On foreign policy, Massie argued that Congress should reclaim its constitutional role in declaring war, expressing skepticism toward foreign aid and outside influence in U.S. politics. He criticized several prominent pro-Israel political donors and lobbying groups, including Paul Singer, Miriam Adelson, and the Republican Jewish Coalition, for financially contributing to Gallrein’s campaign.
“The reason they’re trying to buy this seat and convince you that I’m not the same person I’ve been for the last 10 years is because they don’t like that,” he said.
The Republican Primary is slated for May 19. Quantas Insights poll published on April 9 found that Massie leads Gallrein 46.8% to 37.7%.
