Pro-Israel Groups Pour Millions Into Thomas Massie Primary as Polls Show 1-Point Race
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 17
Pro-Israel Groups Pour Millions Into Thomas Massie Primary as Polls Show 1-Point Race
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 17
Outside groups have turned Rep. Thomas Massie’s GOP primary into the most expensive House primary on record, with pro-Israel organizations and donors heavily backing challenger Nate Gallrein.
$1 million from Paul Singer, $750,000 from a Miriam Adelson-linked super PAC and six-figure billboard spending by Christians United for Israel helped fuel MAGA KY, the super PAC launched by Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio.
Polls suggest the spending has made the race highly competitive: Quantus Insights showed Gallrein ahead by 8 points on Wednesday, while Big Data Poll had Massie up 1 point on Friday.
The contest has also drawn backlash and uglier rhetoric, including Tucker Carlson attacks on Israel-aligned groups, an ad invoking a rainbow Star of David, and antisemitic insults from Sen. Rand Paul’s son.
Trump’s endorsement and the money it unlocked have made first-time federal candidate Gallrein a serious threat, though even Massie critics say defeating an incumbent in his libertarian-leaning Kentucky district remains difficult.
Is record-breaking campaign spending by outside groups the new standard for American political primaries?
When millions in outside money flood a local race, can voters’ voices still be heard?