Overview
- Ed Gallrein, endorsed by President Trump, defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th District Republican primary Tuesday in one of the most expensive House contests on record with more than $32 million in ads, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned for Gallrein in a personal capacity.
- Rep. Andy Barr won Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, positioning a Trump ally for the seat in November.
- Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday for the May 26 Republican Senate runoff against Sen. John Cornyn, emphasizing Paxton’s loyalty to him.
- If Paxton wins the runoff, he would face Democrat James Talarico with a fundraising deficit that reporting ties in part to Leonard Leo dissolving the Concord Fund in January and successor groups not funding Paxton.
- The Kentucky outcome extends a May push in which Trump’s operation helped oust five Indiana state senators who defied his redistricting plan and blocked Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy from a runoff, signaling continued enforcement of party loyalty.