Republican Ed Gallrein has been elected to the U.S. Congress, defeating Democrat Melissa Strange and Libertarian Jeremy Todd.
The Associated Press called the race for Gallrein at 8:43 p.m., when the Republican had secured 53% of the vote with approximately 80% of ballots counted.
Gallrein, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and Army Ranger, will replace longtime Congressman Thomas Massie, who has represented Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District since 2012.
The district stretches from the Louisville suburbs, north to Northern Kentucky, then east along the Ohio River through rural communities bordering Appalachia. Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District is home to approximately 776,000 residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Gallrein campaigned as an “America First” Republican closely aligned with President Donald Trump, who endorsed him in the primary after years of public disagreements with Massie over federal spending, COVID-era restrictions and foreign policy, specifically regarding the Iran conflict.
Gallrein appeared alongside Trump at two rallies in Northern Kentucky: one in March at Verst Logistics in Hebron and another in October at Northern Kentucky University’s Truist Arena.
Gallrein defeated Massie by 57,822 votes to 47,539 in a Republican primary that drew national attention. Throughout the primary campaign, Massie grew increasingly critical of Trump and the administration’s policies, prompting the president to zero in on defeating the congressman.
Gallrein’s candidacy benefited from more than $30 million in spending by political donors and organizations aligned with Trump, including prominent pro-Israel donors such as casino magnate Miriam Adelson and hedge fund manager Paul Singer, as well as groups including the Republican Jewish Coalition and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
A 30-year military veteran, Gallrein emphasized tax cuts, reduced federal regulation and government spending, and stronger border enforcement throughout his campaign. His general election opponents, Strange and Todd, sought to attract disaffected Massie supporters, emphasizing issues including affordability, government accountability, limited government and federal spending.
Following Massie’s primary defeat, Libertarian Party nominee Jeremy Todd entered the race, criticizing Gallrein and Trump over the administration’s foreign and fiscal policies.
Strange, a first-time candidate, defeated Jesse Brewer in the May Democratic primary. Her campaign centered around affordability, access to health care and restoring civility to politics.
Gallrein will take office on Jan. 3, 2027, beginning a two-year term representing Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District that will conclude on Jan. 3, 2029. At 68, Gallrein will be among the oldest first-term representatives elected to Congress during the 2026 midterms.
Gallrein celebrated his election night victory at the Kenton County Republican Party’s watch party, held at Oriental Wok in Fort Mitchell.
