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Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Ed Gallrein, a Republican farmer and retired Navy SEAL officer, defeated incumbent Thomas Massie in the 2026 primary and faces Democrat Melissa Strange for Kentucky's 4th congressional district.
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Ed Gallrein is the Republican nominee in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District (KY-04) for the general election.
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Trump, in his second visit to the state in seven months, is expected to speak on Northern Kentucky University's campus on Saturday for a rally to support both Kentucky and Ohio's Republican candidates running in the…
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Ed Gallrein runs for 4th Congressional District
“I’m going to vote for the people and the Constitution and the nation,” Gallrein said.
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Trump's rally in Kentucky will be held in Truist Arena at NKU
Ed Gallrein, a Trump-backed challenger who defeated incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district race, will attend the Trump rally in Kentucky at Truist Arena, Northern Kentucky University (NKU).
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- April 20, 1958
- Education
- Franklin-Simpson High School (1975)
Centre College
Murray State University (bachelor's degree in agriculture, 1981; Master of Science in Agriculture, Agribusiness Economics, 1984)
Naval Postgraduate School (Master of Science in Financial Management)
Air War College (Master of Strategic Studies)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Ed Gallrein was born on April 20, 1958, the son of Fay Hays and Edward Gallrein Jr., and grew up on his father's farm in Logan County, Kentucky. He graduated from Franklin-Simpson High School in 1975 and attended Centre College, where he played varsity football.
At Murray State University he earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture in 1981 and a Master of Science in Agriculture (Agribusiness Economics) in 1984.
He later received a Master of Science in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Air War College.
Career
Ed Gallrein served in the U.S. military for three decades, from 1984 to 2014, including service with U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six, and rose to the rank of Navy captain with deployments to Panama, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Persian Gulf. He was awarded three Bronze Star Medals and holds two Presidential Unit Citations. Since 2014 he has worked as a dairy farmer and business owner, operating Circle G Farm and Stables in Shelby County.
Gallrein entered electoral politics on August 17, 2023, when he announced a run for the Republican nomination in Kentucky's 7th Senate district. He lost the 2024 primary to Aaron Reed by 118 votes, 39.3% to 38.3%, and a recanvass he requested reaffirmed Reed's victory.
2026 race
Ed Gallrein is the Republican nominee for Kentucky's 4th congressional district, which lies along the Ohio River and includes the suburbs of Cincinnati and the eastern suburbs of Louisville.
The incumbent, Republican Thomas Massie, was first elected in 2012 and had clashed with Donald Trump, who called for a primary challenge and endorsed Gallrein on October 17, 2025; Gallrein announced his candidacy on October 21, 2025.
The contest became the most expensive U.S. House primary in American history, and on May 19, 2026, Gallrein defeated Massie by 54.9% to 45.1%. In the general election on November 3, 2026, he faces Democrat Melissa Strange, a businesswoman, and Libertarian Jeremy Todd, a salesperson.