Trump endorsement – Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama are among six states voting May 19, with President Donald Trump’s endorsements turning primaries into high-stakes loyalty contests—especially in Kentucky, where Rep. Thomas Massie faces a Trump-backed challenger and the possibilit
In Kentucky, the question isn’t only who wins a congressional primary—it’s whether voters still side with a lawmaker who keeps breaking with Donald Trump.
On May 19. voters in Kentucky. Georgia. Alabama. Pennsylvania. Idaho and Oregon head to the polls for primaries that could shape what comes next in November. The common thread across the map is Trump’s involvement: in campaign after campaign. his endorsements have become a measuring stick for influence inside both parties as the Trump administration navigates war with Iran. high inflation. a congressional redistricting battle. and a low job approval rating.
Trump is also trying to turn what critics call a “revenge tour” into momentum. In Indiana, he targeted five state Senate incumbents and beat five out of seven on May 5. Then, in Louisiana, his endorsed candidate defeated incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy on May 16.
Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics called the May 19 races Trump’s “next big test after his wins in Indiana,” as the president tries “to fight off his lame duck status.”
The Kentucky fight is the loudest example.
The president escalates in Kentucky, pressing Rep. Massie
Kentucky’s most high-profile contest on May 19 is the Republican primary in the 4th Congressional District between incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie and Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein, described in the race as a farmer and a former Navy SEAL.
The stakes are sharpened by Massie’s long record of independent moves. including an effort that forced the Department of Justice to release documents about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Massie also voted against Trump’s tax-cut legislation last year. and he supported a resolution to halt Trump’s war on Iran that failed.
Trump responded with a campaign style that has made the primary feel personal. In a fiery Truth Social post. Trump called for the removal of Massie. labeling him a “Weak and Pathetic RINO.” The president has trashed Massie repeatedly. including a March campaign stop in Massie’s Northern Kentucky district. Trump described Massie as the “worst person” and “a total disaster. ” saying Massie commands loyalty among GOP lawmakers who hold slim majorities in the House and Senate.
In Trump’s words, “We’ve got to get rid of this loser.” He added, “He’s disloyal to the Republican Party. He’s disloyal to Kentucky. And most importantly, he’s disloyal to the United States of America. He’s got to be voted out of office as soon as possible.”
Inside the district, Massie isn’t pretending there’s no split. In an interview with WLWT-TV on May 14. Massie said the divide with Trump doesn’t mean voters shouldn’t back him. “Ninety percent of the time I vote the way the president and the party would want me to vote. ” Massie said. “Ten percent of the time. I’m sorry if they’re bankrupting the country. if they’re spying on Americans without a warrant. that’s where I have to deviate from the party.”.
He frames his independence as a feature rather than a defect. “I think the people across the country are hungry to see at least one Republican up there who’s using his own mind,” Massie said.
A Quantis Insights poll shows the fight is close. The poll found Gallrein leading Massie among likely voters by 48% to 43%. Erin Covey. the House of Representatives editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. said Massie has faced “this serious a challenge. until now.” Covey also said taking out an incumbent remains difficult even with Trump’s popularity among Republican voters. noting that in primaries over the last 10 years. incumbents are still hard to remove.
Business frustrations and a costly primary
Covey pointed to frustration from the Northern Kentucky business community that Massie has not made bringing federal funds to the district a priority. She also noted that Gallrein received a key endorsement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce early this year.
The race has also attracted spending at a level typically reserved for general elections. Covey said $30 million in ad spending has flooded the Kentucky contest, calling it the most expensive primary race for the House of Representatives, according to Ad Impact.
“I think this race is going to be a toss-up for sure,” Covey said.
Massie’s bid to survive is also being watched as a loyalty test for voters in the Bluegrass state and as a potential barometer of the president’s MAGA movement.
Not every Kentucky race is about Trump—but plenty are
Kentucky voters also will choose potential replacements for Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking reelection after 40-plus years in office.
McConnell’s seat is being vacated by Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican congressman who is vacating his House seat to replace McConnell. Barr has Trump’s endorsement and won his last election by almost 30 percentage points after vacating. In an Emerson College poll released last month. Barr had a comfortable lead over Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and political newcomer Nate Morris.
But the poll also said 3 in 10 of likely conservative voters were undecided. Covey said the Republican nominee will be the overwhelming favorite this fall in Kentucky, a “dark red state.” “It’s still Barr’s to lose,” Covey said.
Pennsylvania: control of the House could swing from a primary
Across the country, political attention is also fixed on Pennsylvania’s competitive 7th Congressional District. The May 19 primary includes four Democratic candidates in a heated Lehigh Valley race to decide who will face Trump-backed incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who is running unopposed.
Mackenzie’s district is considered a swing seat by the Cook Political Report. The vulnerability is amplified by the district’s recent flip: Mackenzie flipped the district red two years ago, ousting Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild by only 1% in one of the closest congressional contests nationwide.
Democratic contenders include DCCC-endorsed Bob Brooks, a firefighters’ union leader, and Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor. They are reportedly neck-and-neck in fundraising. They are competing against Carol Obando-Derstine, an engineer and former aide to former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and former Northampton County executive Lamont McClure.
Mackenzie raised nearly $4 million, according to the Federal Election Commission, a figure almost totaling more than his Democratic challengers combined.
The district voted for Trump for president by three percentage points in 2024. and Covey said it could be ripe for flipping. “Mackenzie is quite vulnerable this year,” she said. Covey added that Democrats have a competitive primary and that most of the national party establishment is behind Bob Brooks. while Republicans are trying to boost Lamont McClure. who Covey said would be a weaker candidate in a general election.
Georgia: governor and Senate fights may force runoffs
Georgia’s primaries on May 19 could also shape national politics. Both parties are trying to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in a tight contest, while several GOP candidates seek to unseat incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff.
For governor, eight Republicans and seven Democrats are vying for party nominations.
On the Republican side, the contest is close at the top. Trump-endorsed Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is in a race with late-entry candidate, billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson. The polling shows Jackson narrowing the gap after spending millions of dollars from his own fortune to narrow his standing.
An InsiderAdvantage poll found Jackson leading with 28% of likely voters and Jones slightly behind with 24%, with all other Republican candidates below 20%. Undecided voters account for 12%.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—who famously defended the state’s 2020 presidential election results and angered Trump—stands far behind and is considered unlikely to reach the general election.
Andra Gillespie. a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta. said. “Does Raffensperger have enough of a following where he supplants one of the MAGA-identified candidates?” Gillespie added that even though Jackson does not have Trump’s endorsement. he is “painting himself as a Trump-style politician and supporter.”.
Gillespie said Raffensperger has tried to appeal to the non-MAGA wing of the party, but she said, “He took a principal stand years ago, and may now pay a price for it.”
On the Democratic side for governor, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is leading in polls, followed by former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who switched parties, longtime politician Michael Thurmond, and four other lesser-known candidates.
Bottoms’ name recognition and endorsements from high-powered Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, have kept her at the top. But Gillespie said Bottoms may not win the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
“Candidates on both sides of the gubernatorial race have attracted a lot of high-quality candidates either based on prior office holding or business experience. ” Gillespie said. adding that the depth of candidates means “none of the polling is suggesting that one candidate has a lock on the nomination.”.
In the Senate primary, Republican contenders U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter are taking on political outsider Derek Dooley, a former football coach and the son of legendary University of Georgia football head coach Vince Dooley.
A heated debate last month sharpened tensions when Carter questioned whether voters could trust Collins, referencing an ongoing ethics investigation. Collins responded by saying. “I find it ironic that a career politician is talking about ethics. and your career has been littered with complaints. crooked land deals. you’ve even tripled your net worth.”.
Dooley trails both Collins and Carter in the polls, and Dooley also has Kemp’s endorsement.
While Ossoff runs unopposed in the Democratic primary and is considered a slight favorite to regain his seat. a recent Emerson College poll suggests the race could still be tight. Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report said the Emerson poll found Ossoff slightly ahead of Carter, 47% to 44%. It also found Ossoff beating Collins 48% to 43% and beating Dooley 49% to 41%. The survey of 1,000 respondents found undecided voters in the 9% range.
Emory’s Gillespie said, “The dynamics have changed,” and added that Republicans have shown “this much interest by Republicans to try to beat Osoff for that seat.”
Both Gillespie and Taylor expect the two key Georgia races to come down to runoffs on June 16, especially after record turnout for early voting. “Everybody should be bracing themselves to do this all over again next month,” Gillespie said.
Alabama: Tuberville’s dominance tested by a late surge question
In heavily Republican Alabama, attention centers on whether GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville can convert his popularity into a win for governor and hold on to his Senate legacy.
Tuberville is running for governor, and his Senate seat will be up for grabs.
A recent state poll conducted by Gray Television stations and the Alabama Daily News found Tuberville leading with 65% support among likely voters. The poll placed challengers Ken McFeeters at 7% and Will Santivasci at 3%.
Tuberville has served in the Senate since 2021, and before entering politics he coached Auburn from 1999 to 2008. In the Senate, many know him simply as “Coach.”
For Tuberville’s Senate seat, Rep. Barry Moore, who has Trump’s coveted endorsement, is looking to stave off state Attorney General Steve Marshall and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson.
But Cook’s Taylor said Moore’s path may not be as simple as the endorsement suggests. Taylor said on May 11 that it was “baffling why Moore isn’t running away more with the race. given he has Trump’s backing and a huge advantage on the state’s relatively cheap airwaves.” Taylor added that “with such a heavy media presence. ” it remains possible undecided voters will break late for Moore and give him a majority of the vote.
Across six states voting May 19—Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Oregon—the question is no longer just which candidates win. It’s whether Trump’s endorsements, and his push to purge disloyalty, will translate into votes in the places where lawmakers are most likely to resist him.
Trump endorsements Kentucky primary Thomas Massie Ed Gallrein Georgia governor primary Burt Jones Rick Jackson Brad Raffensperger Jon Ossoff Ryan Mackenzie Alabama governor primary Tommy Tuberville Barry Moore