A decorated former Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer announced Tuesday he will challenge Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year’s GOP primary, setting up a high-profile fight backed by President Donald Trump.
“I’ve dedicated my life to serving my country, and I’m ready to answer the call again,” Ed Gallrein said in a statement first shared with Fox News Digital. “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.”
Trump endorsed Gallrein last week in a post on Truth Social.
“I hope Ed gets into the Race against Massie, who is now polling at about 9% because the Great People of Kentucky are wise to him — He only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left,” the president wrote.
“Unlike ‘lightweight’ Massie, a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,” he added.
Trump’s post included a photo of himself with Gallrein in the Oval Office, both holding red “Make America Great Again” hats.
Gallrein, a retired Navy captain, served three decades in uniform, including multiple tours with SEAL Team SIX in Panama, Afghanistan and Iraq. His campaign said he received four Bronze Stars and two Presidential Unit Citations. Gallrein’s family operates one of Kentucky’s largest dairy and grain farms, and his campaign release emphasized his deep roots in the state.
The challenge comes as Massie, a Republican who has often broken with Trump and House GOP leadership, faces mounting opposition from the White House and pro-Trump political groups. Trump’s advisers Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio launched a super PAC earlier this year aimed at defeating Massie, which has already spent nearly $2 million on attack ads.
Massie responded to the endorsement by dismissing Gallrein. “After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein,” Massie said in a statement to Politico.