Massie Vows Victory as Rand Paul, Boebert Stump in Kentucky Showdown

“We’re going to win, brother.”

That was Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) on-the-record comment to The New American when asked for his prediction on Tuesday’s big primary race.

Massie is in a heated contest with a candidate named Ed Gallrein whose most-known characteristic is that he is backed by President Donald Trump. The race is being dubbed the most expensive primary in the history of congressional contests, with estimates of between $25 million and $35 million being dumped into both campaigns (However, FEC filings reflect only about $9 million poured into both campaigns). This is the most-watched contest of the year, with a slew of media articles having been published just over the last few days.

At its core, this is a battle between Massie and Trump, who turned against the Kentuckian last year after he became frustrated over Massie’s breaking with Republicans on key legislation and policy. There have been kerfuffles between Trump and Massie in the past, but they usually made up. Each man has endorsed the other in recent years, but last year marked a permanent souring by the president toward the congressman.

Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, has refused to face Massie in public. According to Massie:

He has refused eight debates and forums. And the forum is a like the wimpy version of a debate, where you don’t even talk to each other. You just show up and answer some softball questions at the library. If you can’t debate me at the library in front of a bunch of Republicans, how are you going to go debate Hakeem Jeffries on the floor of the House of Representatives? The answer is: he has no intention of ever debating.

Betting markets and polls project a very tight contest, with BigData showing Massie and Gallrein neck and neck. But Massie’s campaign suggests the polls are misleading. The congressman told TNA that polls are oversampling older voters of 65 and up, which is the only demographic that leans toward Gallrein. At a get-out-the-vote event and rally, Massie and his allies urged supporters to help older voters in their lives understand that he is the candidate that will serve them best.  

The Rally

Massie arrived early to the event to talk to reporters and early arrivals. The rally was held at his campaign headquarters in Florence, Kentucky, and by the time it was well underway, a capacity crowd had crammed into the limited venue. The parking lot of the venue and that of an adjoining restaurant were crammed with cars. Many of them were by the curbs, on the grass, and seemingly everywhere in between.

A coalition of state and federal lawmakers came out in support, and many of them gave fiery speeches that prompted chants of “USA! USA!” and “Massie, Massie!” The federal lawmakers included Republican Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, as well as Kentucky’s Senator Rand Paul, who drew one of the loudest introduction cheers. President Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter Dana Rohrabacher also stopped by to offer his support. He likened the political climate of today to that of the days preceding the War of Independence. “We are the continuation of the American revolution,” he said. “Screw the Tories, we are going to defeat them again.” Cheers and applause erupted.

Trump noticed what was happening and immediately began to publish social-media calls to have Boebert primaried and ousted from Congress — the same thing he’s attempting with Massie. “Boebert is campaigning for the Worst ‘Republican’ Congressman in the History of our Country … and anybody who can be that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!” said the president. Boebert responded, confirming she saw the post. “No, I’m not mad or offended. I knew the risks when I agreed to stand by my friend Thomas Massie,” she added. You can read more on this in our report here.

Bigger Than Kentucky

In another sign of the immense effort the White House is putting into this race, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is stumping for Gallrein today. The move is highly unusual and likely unprecedented. A Pentagon spokesman told media outlets that Hegseth is supporting Gallrein in his personal capacity, but it’s difficult to believe there is no White House connection here. Gallrein’s campaign has featured his military credentials as the centerpiece of his platform.

The general consensus among Massie supporters is that this race is bigger than Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, bigger than Kentucky, and, for some, bigger than even the U.S. State Rep. Savannah Maddox cast it as “a referendum on our nation’s future.” Rohrabacher framed it this way: “This is about the future of freedom in our country.” A fiery Spartz asked the crowd, “Do people have the power or not?” Boebert said this contest “will set a precedent for every other race,” adding that voters need to show that “Kentucky is not for sale.” And an attendee with a sign that said “Can’t buy KY” was there to remind people that out-of-state neocon donors are the ones funding Gallrein’s campaign. “This race is for all the marbles,” Massie told the crowd. “This race will change the course of history.”

Rand Paul’s Support

Among the most anticipated speakers was Paul, who officially endorsed Massie at the rally. When introducing him to the crowd, the emcee labeled Paul the “conscience” of the Senate. He portrayed Massie as the conscience of the House of Representatives, and framed the Commonwealth of Kentucky as the conscience of the nation.

“There is no man and no woman in the House of Representatives that is more faithful to the Constitution,” Paul began. The son of libertarian icon Ron Paul, Rand repeated one of his most common complaints. He said the largest threat to America comes from within. That threat would be the national debt, something both he and Massie have been very vocal about. Massie even wears an electronic debt patch on his jacket, something he built himself.  

Paul defended accusations that he and Massie often vote against legislation. The reason they vote against so many bills, he said, is “because we take the time to read them.”

He gave Trump credit for securing the border and lowering taxes, and said that voters can support both Massie and Trump. He also told the crowd that they are part of a special movement. “You are the remnant,” he said. And he repeated a famous quote attributed to Samuel Adams (often credited as the father of the American Revolution): “We don’t need a majority, but ‘an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.’”

Fighting for the Constitution

During his speech, Massie told the crowd, “When I ran for Congress, I didn’t think I’d p**s so many people off by voting for the Constitution.” Others also recognized that the integrity of the Constitution is at the center of this race. Rep. Davidson said Massie’s goal is to “restore a government small enough to fit in the Constitution.” And Paul told the crowd, “We came to Congress for one purpose, and that is to defend the Constitution.”

During his tenure in Congress of nearly a decade and a half, Massie has accrued a 99-percent lifetime Freedom Score in TNA’s Freedom Index. When Trump suggested last year that it was time to primary Massie, it was because the Kentuckian criticized the president for ordering strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites. Massie took to social media to point out that the strikes were unconstitutional because the president does not have constitutional permission to take war actions on his own.

Massie has also voted against large spending bills, including Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill. These votes are being framed in ads to portray the Kentuckian as someone who voted for left-wing agendas. As he noted, since these bills have essentially everything in them, it allows opponents to frame the votes any way that suits their agenda.

A New Freedom Coalition

As we’ve often pointed out, constitutional obedience is the key to national restoration, limited government, and individual liberty. Massie is among a very small group of legislators who know and respect the Constitution. But the American electorate is changing, and incoming voters are more awake, better informed, and more suspicious of government. Independents now make up the biggest bloc of voters. The two-party illusion is collapsing, and Massie, Paul, Boebert, and others are the movers and shakers of a rising freedom coalition.

Early voting has already begun, and voters head to the polls Tuesday.