Kentucky to select candidates in high profile races

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Kentucky voters will head to the polls on Tuesday in some of the most closely watched primary races in the country.

Voters will select candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and the state legislature. The races for federal office have drawn intense scrutiny from national political figures, including President Donald Trump.

Here are the races to watch in Kentucky.

U.S. House

District 4

Incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has faced intense pressure from other Republicans in Congress and the president to step down. Massie has thus far resisted Trump’s pressure and is now set to face off against Ed Gallrein, a Trump-endorsed candidate in Kentucky’s fourth congressional district.

Massie has served in the U.S. House since 2012 and has become increasingly critical of Trump. He has publicly spoken out about the Trump administration’s handling of documents associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and withheld votes on critical government funding bills.

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

Gallrein, a farmer and business owner, has spoken out about Massie’s voting record and criticized his lack of support for Trump’s agenda, including Massie’s vote seeking to restrict Trump’s authority in Iran.

“The New York Times and Trump-hating social Ro Khanna are both endorsing Thomas Massie,” Gallrein wrote. “They’ve joined Obama, Kamala and Biden donors in a left-wing crusade to stop President Trump.”

Massie’s campaign for Congress has received more than $5.5 million in contributions, according to most recent filings from the Federal Elections Commission. Gallrein has received $3.1 million in contributions.

U.S. Senate

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he would not be running for reelection in Kentucky. On May 1, Nate Morris, the frontrunner and Trump-endorsed candidate, dropped out of Kentucky’s primary for an ambassadorship in the presidential administration.

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr was later endorsed by Trump and Morris for the Senate seat. Daniel Cameron, the former attorney general of Kentucky, is also seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate.

Barr has touted his record in Kentucky’s sixth congressional district throughout his campaign.

“Together, we’ll cut taxes, slash waste and fire the deep state bureaucrats who steal our freedoms,” Barr said. “We’ll deport illegal aliens instead of putting them in luxury hotels.”

Cameron has advocated for cutting taxes, enhancing immigration enforcement and streamlining domestic oil and gas projects.

“Kentucky’s coal industry is our lifeblood,” Cameron said. “He will always oppose the radical green agenda that killed jobs and drove up energy costs in the Biden era.”

Former state Rep. Charles Booker and Amy McGrath are vying for the Democratic nomination in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race. McGrath previously lost to McConnell in 2020 and Booker lost to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in 2022.

Both candidates have slammed the Trump administration over rising gas prices due to the conflict in Iran. McGrath has compared her campaign to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

“He has shown us a road map for Democrats to win in a place like Kentucky,” McGrath said. “Talk about the issues that matter to people and be a candidate that cannot only speak to Democrats, but also moderates and independents.”

Kentucky voters will also nominate partisan representatives for the Kentucky state senate and House of Representatives. Nineteen of Kentucky’s 38 Senate seats are up for election in 2026 and the chamber’s Republican majority is 30-7 with one independent.

The state House of Representatives will see all of 100 seats up for election in 2026. The chamber’s Republican majority is 80-20.