Massie, who led a push to release Justice Department files tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was defeated by Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by the president and bolstered by heavy spending from pro-Israel groups.
With 99 percent of the votes counted, Gallrein had won 54.9 percent of the total to Massie’s 45.1 percent, according to CNN.
The contest – the most expensive House of Representatives primary in history, with US$32 million in ad spending – offered the latest evidence of Trump’s hold over Republicans.
It followed the ouster in a primary on Saturday of another Trump critic, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and losses for dissenting state lawmakers in Indiana primaries on May 5.
“Massie got Trumped. Donald Trump is the sun and the moon and the stars in the Republican Party in Kentucky,” said TJ Litafik, a Kentucky-based Republican strategist.
But rather than signal wider appeal for the president, Massie’s defeat underscored Trump’s dominance among party activists who shape primary outcomes, even as his sagging approval ratings and high fuel prices raise questions about the party’s chances with the broader electorate in November’s midterm elections. (Reuters)
