WASHINGTON (AP) — Kentucky’s primary elections on Tuesday feature a high-stakes Republican showdown where Congressman Thomas Massie, a prominent critic of President Donald Trump within the GOP, confronts a primary challenger backed by the former president. The contest represents another chapter in Trump’s ongoing effort to remove Republicans he views as unfaithful from the party.
Voters across Kentucky will select candidates for the U.S. Senate, six House seats, and state legislative positions. Louisville residents will narrow down multiple mayoral candidates.
The spotlight race occurs in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where Massie campaigns for the Republican nomination to serve his eighth complete term. His challenger is Ed Gallrein, who farms and previously served as a Navy SEAL, launching his campaign after Trump encouraged him to run.
Among Washington Republicans, Massie stands out for opposing Trump’s major domestic and international policy proposals, voting against the former president’s landmark tax legislation and his approach to Iran policy. He has also spearheaded congressional efforts to make public documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender.
While Massie holds a fundraising edge, Gallrein has maintained competitiveness throughout the race. The sitting congressman spent more than twice what his challenger did during the campaign, though both candidates entered the final month with similar cash reserves.
Northern Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District runs along the Ohio River and borders both Indiana and Ohio. Trump captured approximately 67% of district votes in the 2024 general election, winning every one of its 21 counties with at least 59% support. Massie faced no opposition in 2024 and earned 65% of votes in his 2022 reelection. While Massie won every county in 2022, Trump’s 2024 performance exceeded his in all counties except two.
The U.S. Senate primaries feature nearly 20 candidates vying to replace longtime GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down after seven terms. The 11 Republican candidates include Congressman Andy Barr, who has received Trump’s backing, and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a onetime McConnell aide who has criticized his former boss during campaigning.
Seven Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination, including former state Representative Charles Booker, military veteran and 2020 Senate candidate Amy McGrath, and state House Minority Leader Pamela Stevenson.
Louisville’s mayoral race features incumbent Craig Greenberg seeking a second term against 10 challengers. The nonpartisan primary will send the top two vote recipients to the general election.
Key election details and metrics the AP Decision Team will track during vote counting include:
Voting ends at 6 p.m. local time, translating to 6 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET. Most Kentucky polling locations operate on Eastern time and close at 6 p.m. ET, while Central Time Zone locations close at 7 p.m. ET.
The AP will report vote totals and announce winners in competitive primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and Louisville mayor.
Primary participation is limited to voters registered with each respective political party. Democrats cannot vote in Republican primaries and Republicans cannot vote in Democratic primaries. Independent and unaffiliated voters are excluded from both primaries.
Kentucky had approximately 3.4 million registered voters as of April 24, with roughly 1.6 million Republicans and 1.4 million Democrats.
The 2022 U.S. Senate primaries drew about 386,000 Republican votes and approximately 292,000 Democratic votes.
Early voting accounted for roughly 21% of Democratic votes and 17% of Republican votes in the 2023 state primaries.
By Wednesday, about 27,000 ballots had been submitted for Tuesday’s election, with approximately 14,000 from Republicans and 12,000 from Democrats.
Counties follow different vote reporting procedures. Early and absentee ballot results from medium and large counties typically appear in initial updates, usually before Election Day in-person voting results.
During the 2024 primary, the AP released first results at 6:06 p.m. ET, six minutes after most state polls closed. The final update came at 9:47 p.m. ET with over 99.9% of votes tallied.
The Associated Press avoids making projections and only declares winners when no possible scenario exists for trailing candidates to overcome their deficit. For uncalled races, the AP will report significant developments like candidate concessions or victory claims while clarifying that no winner has been declared and explaining the reasoning.
Kentucky mandates automatic recounts for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state General Assembly, and most statewide races when the margin is 0.5% or less of total votes. The AP may call winners in recount-eligible races if the lead is too substantial for recounts or legal challenges to alter the outcome.
Tuesday marks 168 days remaining until the 2026 midterm elections.
