Massie loses primary challenge in victory for Trump
The race was Trump' most important stop on his revenge tour to oust Republican defectors.
www.axios.comThomas Massie lost the state Republican primary to Ed Gallrein, a Trump-endorsed challenger. Massie acknowledged defeat after results were announced. primary was described as one of the costliest in House history, and a benchmark of Donald Trump's influence within the party. Trump backed Gallrein publicly while Massie attacked Trump on specific votes. Gallrein wins the nomination to the general election matchup in a strongly Republican district, facing Democrat Melissa Strange. Massie has served since 2012 and came under Trump's pressure in part by pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and speaking out against the war in Iran.