Thomas Massie won’t be on the ballot this November, but his voters could still shape Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District race.
Nearly 48,000 Republicans backed Massie in his May primary loss to Ed Gallrein. Democrat Melissa Strange and Libertarian Jeremy Todd are trying to persuade some of those voters to cross party lines rather than support Gallrein.
The contentious May primary, which Gallrein won 57,822 to 47,539, drew national attention and set a new congressional spending record. The campaigns and aligned super PACs spent about $37 million on the race, making it the most expensive U.S. House primary on record.
First elected in 2012, Massie had routinely cruised to reelection, building a loyal following since arriving in Congress during the Tea Party era.
Trump backed Gallrein in the primary after years of increasingly public clashes with Massie over federal spending and foreign policy. Massie opposed major COVID-era spending measures on fiscal grounds and later broke with Trump over issues including the release of the Epstein files and U.S. military action against Iran. Gallrein, meanwhile, has closely aligned himself with Trump’s agenda.
Strange and Todd are now trying to capitalize on some of the divisions exposed by the Republican primary.
Strange, a political newcomer, told LINK nky she had personally heard from former Massie voters who are considering voting for a Democrat for the first time. Strange said many of the Massie voters she’s spoken with share her concerns on affordability and housing availability, along with growing concerns over Flock cameras and data center construction.
“They want to know more about me, because usually there are things where they may not agree on everything, but they can see enough similarities or enough pieces of where I stand on issues that they feel like they can find me as an acceptable alternative to Mr. Gallrein,” Strange said.
In addition, Strange said some Massie supporters felt burned by the contentious primary, which at times became deeply personal. She noted that these voters were not suddenly embracing the Democratic Party but were looking to her as an alternative to Gallrein and weighing the issues on which they may share common ground.
Strange has emphasized the economy, health care, education and government accountability in her campaign.
Todd has made a more explicitly libertarian pitch to disaffected Massie supporters, emphasizing limited government, federal spending and opposition to U.S. military involvement abroad. He has pointed to Massie’s willingness to break with Trump on spending and foreign policy as an area of overlap with libertarian voters.
Todd, who spoke with LINK nky in June, was more explicit in his criticism of Gallrein and his surrogates, calling it a concerted behind-the-scenes effort to thwart Massie’s reelection.
“Just the amount of money that was pumped in, it’s gross,” Todd said. “We need to push back against that and say, no, you cannot buy a congressional seat.”
Todd’s campaign manager, Bill Schult, told LINK nky in June that after Massie’s loss, a subset of ideological libertarians in the congressional district wanted to run a candidate they felt better represented their values.
“Once Thomas Massie lost the Republican primary, we reconsidered whether it made sense to run a Libertarian for the seat,” Schult said.
Todd entered the race after Massie’s primary loss, when libertarians on social media began urging the Kenton County-based attorney to run. Todd and his supporters have pitched his candidacy as an alternative for Massie voters dissatisfied with Gallrein and the national Republican Party’s involvement in the primary.
Whether those voters can significantly change the outcome is another question. Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District has strongly favored Republicans in recent elections. In the last genuinely contested general election in 2022, Massie received 167,541 votes to Democrat Matthew Lehman’s 79,977, or about 65% to 31%, per election data.
Strange and Todd also face the challenge of competing for some of the same dissatisfied voters. Todd is appealing primarily to Massie supporters drawn to his limited-government politics, while Strange is asking them to cross a wider partisan divide.
How many of Massie’s 47,539 primary voters will actually abandon the Republican nominee remains unclear. Gallrein now has the task of consolidating Republican voters, while Strange and Todd are trying to peel some away in a district that has strongly favored Republicans in recent federal elections.
Who’s on the ballot?
Three candidates are seeking the 4th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 3 general election: Republican Ed Gallrein, Democrat Melissa Strange and Libertarian Jeremy Todd.
ED GALLREIN (R)
Retired Navy SEAL and Army Ranger Ed Gallrein, a Republican, is facing Democrat Melissa Strange and Libertarian Jeremy Todd in the general election this November after defeating incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie in the GOP primary.
Gallrein launched his campaign last October, positioning himself as a close ally of President Donald Trump — a contrast to Massie, who had publicly clashed with Trump on various issues.
Upon entering the race, Trump officially endorsed Gallrein, providing the former military captain an advantage among Trump-supporting Republicans. During his visit to Hebron in early March, Trump invited Gallrein onstage at his rally.
Before the May primary, Gallrein’s only electoral experience was an unsuccessful primary run for the District 7 seat in the Kentucky State Senate, where he narrowly lost to now-Sen. Aaron Reed.
Gallrein has campaigned as an “America First” Republican closely aligned with Trump, emphasizing tax cuts, reduced federal regulation and lower government spending.
On immigration policy, Gallrein advocates stronger border enforcement by completing construction of the southern border wall and expanding funding for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Professionally, Gallrein served in the military for 30 years, deploying across the globe from Central America to the Middle East. According to Gallrein’s campaign, he received three Bronze Star Medals, an Army Combat Parachutist Badge with a Bronze Star device and two Presidential Unit Citations during his military career. Later on, Gallrein worked as an executive coach and public speaker.
“My passion is about service,” Gallrein told LINK nky. “To give back to the people that have given so much. They deserve that, and I’m going to give that to them.”
Gallrein, originally from Simpson County, now resides on a large farm in Shelbyville near Louisville.
MELISSA STRANGE (D)
Melissa Strange, a Democrat and first-time candidate, will face Republican Ed Gallrein and Libertarian Jeremy Todd in the November general election for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
Strange defeated fellow first-time candidate Jesse Brewer in the Democratic primary.
Strange is a lifelong resident of Northern Kentucky and a graduate of Dixie Heights High School, Northern Kentucky University and Thomas More University. She lives in Erlanger with her husband and has two sons. She currently serves as a director of supply chain management at Archer-Daniels-Midland in Erlanger.
Strange told LINK nky she decided to run because of a long-standing interest in government and concerns about the country’s political division. As a candidate, Strange has framed herself as a community-first pragmatist focused more on problem-solving than on partisan conflict.
Strange decided to run after years of complaints from community members dissatisfied with current Rep. Thomas Massie’s tenure, who believed he was not always acting in the best interests of the people in his district.
“I felt that if we could present a reasonable alternative, somebody who they felt was rational and just like them and cared deeply about this community, that maybe, maybe, they would be willing to leave the (Republican) party behind and actually make the decision in the best interest of the community,” she said.
On policy, Strange’s main focus is tackling the affordability crisis, including rising costs for housing, groceries and daily expenses. She also considers rising healthcare costs a crucial issue, particularly in rural areas, where hospital closures could harm local communities.
Education is another central focus of Strange’s campaign, as she advocates increased public education funding and early childhood programs, including expanded pre-K access.
JEREMY TODD (L)
Jeremy Todd, the Libertarian Party nominee for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, entered the race following the defeat of longtime U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie in the Republican primary.
Todd told LINK nky he decided to run because he believes voters who favor limited government — including Libertarians, Independents and former Massie supporters — no longer have a candidate representing their views. He describes both major parties as favoring expanded government, with the Libertarian Party existing as an alternative.
Todd’s campaign centers on three primary issues. One is reducing federal spending, which he argues is necessary to address the national debt and the rising cost of living. Todd says excessive government spending has made it increasingly difficult for younger Americans to afford homes and start families.
In addition, Todd opposes continued U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, including recent actions against Iran. He said the United States should avoid foreign conflicts, bring troops home, and focus on national defense.
Todd also said he wants to reduce the influence of outside money in congressional elections. He cited this year’s Republican primary, arguing that wealthy donors should not be able to determine election outcomes.
Todd believes Kentucky’s 4th District is more politically competitive than its Republican voting history suggests, as Massie drew support from independents and Libertarians. He hopes to build a coalition of voters who are seeking an alternative to the Republican and Democratic nominees.
