Six states head to the polls Tuesday for primary elections, with the most intense battles unfolding in Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama. The marquee matchup pits President Trump against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a frequent GOP dissenter, in a race that has drawn national attention and record spending.
Massie faces Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer. Trump has called for Massie's ouster, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Kentucky on Monday to campaign with Gallrein, a move the Pentagon said was personal. The contest has become the most expensive House primary ever, with over $25.6 million in ad spending, including AI-generated attack ads. One pro-Gallrein super PAC used AI to depict Massie with progressive Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while a pro-Massie PAC showed Gallrein fleeing a battlefield. Massie has broken with Trump on Epstein files, foreign policy, and the tax bill, but insists he remains a conservative. “Dogs don’t bark at parked cars,” he told The Hill.
In Georgia, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) is the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbent, running in a state Trump won in 2024. Three Republicans—Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former coach Derek Dooley—vie for the nomination. A runoff is likely, as no candidate is expected to top 50%. The race has been marked by ethics attacks: Carter highlights a probe into Collins hiring a non-working intern, while Collins cites Carter's “crooked land deals.” A federal judge recently halted a Georgia panel's misconduct claims against Supreme Court candidates, adding to the state's political turbulence.
The open Georgia governor's race to replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is crowded. On the GOP side, Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, billionaire Rick Jackson, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr are competing. Jackson's wealth has propelled him to first in polls, upending the race. Democrats see former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as the front-runner, backed by former President Biden, but former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond may force a runoff.
In Alabama, former Sen. Doug Jones (D) and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) are set for a gubernatorial rematch after Tuberville's 2020 Senate win. Two Republicans compete to replace former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky. Sen. Bill Cassidy's Louisiana primary loss this weekend underscored the risks for GOP lawmakers who cross Trump.
Tuesday's results will test Trump's influence and set the stage for November's high-stakes general elections.
