Kentucky's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Republican primary)

	← 2024
Kentucky's 4th Congressional District
	Democratic primary; Republican primary; General election
Election details
	Filing deadline: January 9, 2026
	Primary: May 19, 2026; General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
	Poll times: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Voting in Kentucky
Race ratings
	Cook Political Report: Solid Republican; DDHQ and The Hill: Pending; Inside Elections: Solid Republican; Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
	U.S. Senate battlegrounds; U.S. House battlegrounds; Federal and state primary competitiveness; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
	Kentucky's 4th Congressional District; U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th; Kentucky elections, 2026; U.S. Congress elections, 2026; U.S. Senate elections, 2026; U.S. House elections, 2026; Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House raceArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House raceFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House raceOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House raceTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House raceVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House raceSubmit

Kentucky 2026 elections

U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Municipal • All local elections by county • How to run for office

Two candidates are running in the Republican primary for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District on May 19, 2026: incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie (R) and Ed Gallrein (R).

As of Jan. 23, 2026, this is one of two congressional races in which President Donald Trump (R) endorsed a challenger to a Republican incumbent. After Massie said he would vote against the short-term government funding bill in March 2025, Trump posted on Truth Social that “HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him.”^[1]

In response, Massie posted on X, “Someone thinks they can control my voting card by threatening my re-election. Guess what? Doesn’t work on me. Three times I’ve had a challenger who tried to be more MAGA than me. None busted 25% because my constituents prefer transparency and principles over blind allegiance.”^[2] Trump endorsed Gallrein on Oct. 17, 2025.^[3]

According to the University of Kentucky's Stephen Voss, "A lot of Republican voters in Massie's district are going to be willing to consider an alternative to Massie because of Donald Trump's spats with Massie. But just because you're not fully happy with your member of Congress doesn't mean you end up willing to vote for someone else."^[4]

Massie was first elected to represent Kentucky's 4th Congressional District in a 2012 special election. He previously served as the Lewis County Judge Executive from 2010 to 2012. Massie's professional experience includes working as a farmer and business owner.^[5]

Massie said, "Fourth district voters appreciate having an independent conservative voice who works for them, and I look forward to continuing my fight for transparency, constitutional rights, secure borders, a true America-first foreign policy, and fiscal responsibility."^[6]

Gallrein is a farmer and business owner.^[7] He also served in the U.S. Navy from 1984 to 2014.^[7] In 2024, Gallrein ran to represent District 7 in the Kentucky Senate. He lost to Aaron Reed 39.3% to 38.3% in the Republican primary.

Gallrein said, "This district is Trump Country. The president doesn't need obstacles in Congress — he needs backup. I'll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for."^[6]

As of Jan. 13, 2026, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rated the general election as Solid Republican. Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the general election as Safe Republican.

This page focuses on Kentucky's 4th Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 4

Incumbent Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 4 on May 19, 2026.

		Candidate
		Thomas Massie
		Ed Gallrein

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nicole Lee Ethington (R)
Robert Wells Jr. (R)

Voting information

See also: Voting in Kentucky

Election information in Kentucky: May 19, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

In-person: April 20, 2026
By mail: Postmarked by April 20, 2026
Online: April 20, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

In-person: N/A
By mail: N/A by N/A
Online: May 5, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

In-person: May 19, 2026
By mail: Received by May 19, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 14, 2026 to May 16, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (ET/CT)

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Thomas Massie

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office:

U.S. House of Representatives, Kentucky District 4 (Assumed office: 2012)
Lewis County Judge Executive (2010-2012)

Biography: Massie received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His professional experience included working as a farmer and business owner.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Massie's campaign website stated that he held "the most conservative lifetime rating of any Kentucky congressman from Freedomworks, the American Conservative Union, Club for Growth, Conservative Review, Gun Owners of America, and the National Taxpayers Union."

On immigration, Massie said he would “support President Trump’s efforts to stop illegal immigration and voted to fund the wall for the full amount requested by the President.”

On gun laws, Massie said, “In speeches, legislation, and through my votes in Congress, I continuously make the point that gun-free zones make law-abiding citizens less safe.”

Show sources

Sources: Thomas Massie 2026 Campaign Website, "Issues," accessed January 19, 2026; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Thomas Massie," accessed January 19, 2026

Ed Gallrein

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography: Gallrein received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Murray State University. His professional experience included working as a farmer and business owner. Gallrein also served in the U.S. Navy from 1984 to 2014.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

On the economy, Gallrein said he would work to “cut taxes, stop the reckless spending that has driven up inflation, and fight to bring good-paying jobs back home to Kentucky.”

Regarding immigration, Gallrein said he would “team up with President Trump to finish the wall, fully fund Border Patrol & ICE, and finally secure the border once and for all.”

Gallrein’s campaign website stated that “as a lifelong defender of freedom and warrior for our Nation, Gallrein will protect our right to keep and bear arms without compromise.”

Show sources

Sources: Ed Gallrein 2026 Campaign Website, "Ed's Priorities," accessed January 19, 2026; LinkedIn, "Ed Gallrein," accessed January 19, 2026

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Thomas Massie

"Rhonda" – Massie campaign advertisement, released Dec. 16, 2025

"Keep Our Promise" – Massie campaign advertisement, released Oct. 4, 2025

"Just Getting Started" – Massie campaign advertisement, released July 23, 2025

View more ads here:

Ed Gallrein

"The Mission: Standing up for America" – Gallrein campaign advertisement, released Dec. 2, 2025

View more ads here:

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorser	Thomas Massie	Ed Gallrein
Government officials
President Donald Trump (R) ^source		✔
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R) ^source	✔

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.^[8]
Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Race ratings: Kentucky's 4th Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	2/17/2026	2/10/2026	2/3/2026	1/27/2026
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Pending	Pending	Pending	Pending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Campaign finance

Candidate Spending

Name

Party

Receipts*

Disbursements**

Cash on hand

Date

Thomas Massie

Republican Party

$2,451,860

$1,170,141

$2,188,729

As of December 31, 2025

Ed Gallrein

Republican Party

$1,235,489

$302,224

$933,265

As of December 31, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^[12]^[13]

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.^[14]

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate	By election
Thomas Massie Nicole Lee Ethington Ed Gallrein	Open Secrets Federal Election Commission

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Competitiveness
Presidential elections

State party control

Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026

Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+18. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 18 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Kentucky's 4th the 50th most Republican district nationally.^[15]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District
Kamala Harris	Donald Trump
31.0%	67.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Kentucky, 2024

Kentucky presidential election results (1900-2024)

16 Democratic wins
16 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also: Party control of Kentucky state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Kentucky's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Kentucky
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	1	1
Republican	2	5	7
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	6	8

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Kentucky's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Kentucky, October 2025
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Andy Beshear
Lieutenant Governor	Jacqueline Coleman
Secretary of State	Michael Adams
Attorney General	Russell Coleman

State legislature

Kentucky State Senate

Party		As of January 2026
	Democratic Party	6
	Republican Party	32
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		38

Kentucky House of Representatives

Party		As of January 2026
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	80
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		100

Trifecta control

Kentucky Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 4

Incumbent Thomas Massie (R) defeated Benjamin Middendorf (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thomas Massie (R)	99.6	278,386
	Submit photo	Benjamin Middendorf (Independent) (Write-in)	0.4	1,131

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 279,517
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 21, 2024, was canceled.