Thomas Massie lays groundwork for 2028 after primary loss

The Kentucky Republican was seriously considering a 2028 campaign to regain his seat in the House of Representatives, according to a Monday statement. The incumbent lost the GOP primary last week to Ed Gallrein, the Trump-endorsed candidate for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. He had since filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for the 2028 race, but hadn’t made a final decision on whether he would run, according to the statement.

Why didn’t Massie receive Trump’s endorsement? Despite once being a strong Trump ally, Massie drew the president’s ire after voting against the Big Beautiful Bill Act over concerns for the growing federal deficit. He also forced the vote on the bill requiring the Department of Justice to release all its documentation on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Why file the paperwork if he hasn’t yet decided to run? Filing allowed Massie to raise funding for his current operations as a federal representative, as well as a possible candidate in the future, according to his statement.