← All leaders · Leaders
Thomas Massie
KY · District KY-04
In plain English: Represents Kentucky District KY-04 in the U.S. House of Representatives. House members vote on federal laws and spending.
Term
2012-11-01 – 2027-01-03
Next election
2028-11-07Not on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: Massie lost the KY-04 Republican primary to Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein on May 19, 2026 (roughly 55-45) and conceded that night in Hebron, Kentucky. His term ends when the 119th Congress adjourns in Jan 2027. In Oct 2026 he filed FEC paperwork for a 2028 House race while saying he had not decided which office to seek; his next election date is Nov 7, 2028.
Running for
Not recorded
Committees
House Committee on the Judiciary; House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Thomas Massie (R) represents Kentucky's 4th district in the U.S. House, in office since a Nov 2012 special election; he is in his seventh term. Born Jan 13, 1971. He earned a B.S. in electrical engineering (1993) and an M.S. in mechanical engineering (1996) from MIT, founded the haptic-interface company SensAble Technologies, and served as Lewis County Judge-Executive (2011-2012) before Congress. Widely characterized in press coverage as a libertarian-leaning Republican nicknamed "Mr. No" for opposing spending increases, warrantless surveillance reauthorization, and foreign intervention. He serves on the House Judiciary and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
Bio source: https://massie.house.gov/about/
1. Follow the money, in plain English
What we don’t have yet: verified donor records for this leader. Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
Every money claim on this page carries its source and its confidence level; the full item-by-item money record is in the evidence below.
2. What they promised
Each promise is tracked against documented votes and actions. A status is set only from the record; where a promise has not been tested yet, the card says so.
- PROMISEOn the record
Signed a term-limits pledge calling for a constitutional amendment limiting House members to three terms. In 2026 he ran for an eighth term. When challenged on KET's "Kentucky Tonight" about honoring the spirit of the pledge, he said he had fulfilled the legislative requirements of the pledge he signed before taking office. Status so far: He lost the KY-04 Republican primary on May 19, 2026, to Ed Gallrein, roughly 55 to 45, and his term ends in January 2027. In October 2026, he filed FEC paperwork for a 2028 House race while saying he had not made a final decision on which office to seek.
Verification note: His defense is documented; no verdict set.
- PROMISEOn the record
Ran vowing to decrease wasteful spending. Status so far: He voted Nay on H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, on July 3, 2025. He also voted Nay on H.R. 8800 (NDAA FY2027) on July 22, 2026.
- PROMISEOn the record
Vowed to force House votes on EFTA II and the Hegseth impeachment when Congress returns after the November midterms, if the files are still secret and Hegseth is still in office. Status so far: He introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II in July 2026, and its discharge petition reached 216 signatures on September 16, 2026, with commitments for 218 announced on September 17, 2026. On September 15, 2026, he filed eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a privileged resolution; the House left for recess before a vote, which was expected when the House returns.
Verification note: Pending the lame-duck session; no verdict set.
3. The evidence
Everything on this page comes from the record below, grouped so you can find things: what they said, what they did, money and influence, and what happened after. Every item carries its date, its source, and the date we last verified it.
Open the full record ↓
What they said
- FACT
Massie lost the KY-04 Republican primary to Trump-endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, roughly 55-45 (about 10 points). He conceded the night of May 19, 2026, at an event in Hebron, Kentucky. His term ends when the 119th Congress adjourns in January 2027. He did not announce a retirement; he was defeated for renomination.
- FACT
The primary was reported as the most expensive U.S. House primary in history. Estimates vary (at least $16M combined; some estimates $32M; more than $29M in advertising alone; more than 90% of the money originated outside Kentucky). No single authoritative total was located.
Verification note: Spending figures vary by outlet; no single authoritative total.
- STATEMENT
"If the legislative branch always votes with the president, we do have a king. But if lawmakers follow the Constitution, we have a republic."
- FACT
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act. After House leadership refused to bring the bill to the floor, Massie and Khanna used a discharge petition that reached 218 signatures on Nov 12, 2025, forcing a vote.
- FACT
The Epstein Files Transparency Act passed the House 427 to 1. The lone no vote was Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA). The Senate cleared it by unanimous consent; Trump signed it into law as Public Law 119-38 on Nov 19, 2025, giving the Attorney General 30 days to publish the Justice Department's unclassified Epstein file.
- FACT
DOJ said it published about 3.5 million pages before declaring compliance on Jan 30, 2026. House Oversight Democrats say the department holds about 6 million documents. In June 2026, Judge Emmet Sullivan concluded DOJ had likely violated the Act.
- FACT
Massie introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II with Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM). It would let survivors, members of Congress, state attorneys general, and other authorized state officials sue the U.S. Attorney General over records believed to be unlawfully withheld or redacted.
- FACT
The Act II discharge petition reached 216 of 218 required signatures, with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) as the 216th signer. The only Republican signers: Massie, Fitzpatrick, Nancy Mace (R-SC), Ralph Norman (R-SC). Two Democrats (John Garamendi, Adam Smith) had not signed, reported as out sick, with pledges to sign when the House returns. On Sept 17, Massie and Khanna announced commitments sufficient for 218. The House was then sent home early for the pre-election recess, freezing the official count at 216.
- STATEMENT
"Why are we canceling session when there's so much important work to be done? It's because they want to avoid voting on my Epstein legislation and the impeachment of Hegseth."
- STATEMENT
"By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable. Secretary Hegseth's constitutional violations extend beyond the illegal war in Iran. He is abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration by retaliating against them for exercising free speech."
- FACT
Massie filed eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, introduced as a privileged resolution forcing a floor vote within two legislative days, and read them on the House floor. Charges centered on waging hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization, ignoring war-powers directives, unauthorized lethal targeting in maritime counternarcotics operations, the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly. The House left for a seven-week pre-election recess before the vote; a vote is expected when the House returns.
- STATEMENT
"I am opposed to this War. This is not 'America First.' When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war."
- STATEMENT
"I'll continue to support the valid Constitutional position that Trump, Jordan, and Vance have all expressed strongly in the past: No FISA reauthorization without a warrant requirement for US citizens!"
- STATEMENT
"I came here to make sure our republic doesn't die by unanimous consent in an empty chamber, and I request a recorded vote." His motion for a recorded vote on the $2.2 trillion CARES Act lacked sufficient support and failed; the bill passed by voice vote.
- ALLEGATION
"These are the last gasps of a member of Congress who promised to term limit himself to three terms, but is now seeking his 8th. Thomas Massie serves only one person, Thomas Massie."
- ALLEGATION
Trump called Massie a "third rate Grandstander" (March 2020), "MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!" (Truth Social, June 2025), "moron" (2026), and "will go down as the WORST Republican Congressman" (2026 campaign season).
What they did
- VOTE
H.R. 4405: Epstein Files Transparency Act Yea on On Passage (Passed 427-1)
- VOTE
H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act Nay on Final passage (Passed 218-214; signed July 4, 2025)
Verification note: One of only two Republicans voting no (with Fitzpatrick).
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 93: Iran war-powers resolution (directing end to unauthorized Iran hostilities) Yea on On Agreeing to the Resolution (Passed 220-204)
Verification note: One of seven Republicans voting yes.
- VOTE
H.R. 8800: NDAA FY2027 Nay on On Passage (Passed 216-212)
Verification note: One of seven Republicans voting no.
- VOTE
H.R. 8595 (amendment): Amendment to eliminate $3.3B in Israel aid in State Dept appropriations Yea on On the amendment (Failed 314-104)
Verification note: The only Republican voting yes.
- FACT
Co-introduced H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). Signed into law Nov 19, 2025 (Public Law 119-38).
- FACT
Introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II with Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM).
Money and influence
- DATA UNAVAILABLE
Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
No influences documented.
What happened after
- OUTCOME
Lost the KY-04 Republican primary to Ed Gallrein (roughly 55-45). Conceded in Hebron, Kentucky. Term ends Jan 2027. Status: completed
- OUTCOME
Filed FEC paperwork for a 2028 House race while saying he had not made a final decision on which office to seek. Status: in progress
No ethics investigations, censures, or formal complaints against Massie surfaced in the records checked.
Sources
Evidence
Related receipts
No receipts filed for this leader yet.
Every factual item carries its source, date, and last-verified stamp. Items marked unavailable are genuinely missing. Never filled in.