In a banner race closely watched around the country, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was defeated for re-nomination to Kentucky's 4th Congressional District on Tuesday evening, losing to Donald Trump-endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.
The race was projected Tuesday night by NBC News, Decision Desk HQ and CNN.
Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican with a history of idiosyncratic beliefs and votes against his party on major issues, gained national prominence as one of the co-authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which compelled the release of files on one of the nation's most infamous serial child trafficking cases — largely over opposition from Trump.
The primary campaign swiftly grew into an ugly spectacle, with groups supporting both sides lobbing vicious and sometimes antisemitic attacks on each other.
