In a resounding victory, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky secured his place in the Republican primary, despite facing significant opposition from both his rivals and outside interest groups.
The primary contest, closely watched by political observers, unfolded against the backdrop of Massie’s involvement in a failed attempt to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson over the passage of foreign aid bills directing substantial funds to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. This move drew the ire of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which launched a substantial advertising campaign against Massie, accusing him of prioritizing local interests over foreign relations.
Massie has displayed his “America First” position by repeatedly voting against foreign aid packages, including to Israel, which prompted AIPAC’s efforts to primary him out of office. AIPAC reportedly spent a staggering $300,000 in their efforts to campaign against Massie, though some reports have indicated that the number was closer to $400,000.
AIPAC announced they were spending $300,000 against me statewide to run negative ads.
We raised $100,000 on the blowback.
Then Protect Freedom PAC began running $300,000 of the ad below supporting me statewide.
AIPAC, your smear campaign on this American 🇺🇸 has backfired. pic.twitter.com/Qp5vXnoOTH
— Thomas Massie for Congress (@MassieforKY) May 21, 2024
Despite the efforts to defeat him, Massie secured a clear victory — and celebrated the news in a post on X, formerly Twitter, sharing a screenshot of the election results.
AIPAC claims to have spent over $400,000 against me this election cycle. These were the results tonight: pic.twitter.com/PmQ0G2Ol7D
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 22, 2024
Massie also responded directly to a post from AIPAC, where the pro-Israel group was trying to defend its campaign against him. Massie responded by vowing to continue his efforts to put America first, adding: “After spending $400k+ smearing me, and watching me get 75%+ in the race tonight, they claim they weren’t playing in the race. They deserve the ratio here.”
🇺🇸 FIRST. After spending $400k+ smearing me, and watching me get 75%+ in the race tonight, they claim they weren’t playing in the race. They deserve the ratio here: https://t.co/ULaQYOcXmU
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 22, 2024
Despite these challenges, Massie emerged victorious with an impressive 75.9% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary. Reflecting on his win, Massie addressed supporters in Crescent Springs, Northern Kentucky, emphasizing his commitment to representing his constituents’ interests in Washington.
Brandishing his voting card, Massie declared, “It’s always a question, can you go to Washington, D.C. and not sell out? Can you vote exactly the way your constituents want? This is your card. This is your voting card. You let me keep it in my wallet and go to Washington, D.C. and vote for you.”
Looking ahead, Massie shows no signs of backing down from controversial positions, including his sponsorship of bills such as the Federal Reserve abolition proposal (HR 8421) and the Interstate Milk Freedom Act (HR 8374), aimed at limiting the FDA’s authority to disrupt trade between farmers and consumers.
With a reputation for dissent, Massie has earned the moniker “Mr. No” for his frequent solitary votes against legislative measures.
