Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie is teasing a potential run for Mitch McConnell's Senate seat in 2026, and a Jewish Republican group is already threatening to unleash "unlimited" spending to thwart any such bid, given his frequent opposition to legislation pushed by the pro-Israel lobby.
On Thursday, Massie posted a poll on X, asking if he should stay in the House, run for Senate in 2026, or run for governor in 2027. A Senate campaign was the choice of 67% of the respondents.
If you were me, would you:
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 20, 2025
The libertarian-minded Massie opposes all foreign aid. At his own political peril, he dares to make no exception for the State of Israel, which is among the world's richest countries. He has also voted against legislation that would infringe on free speech by, for example, punishing colleges that allow students and professors to say the wrong things about Israel.
Add it all up -- and stir in the fact that he's a member of a party whose legislators almost universally toe the pro-Israel line -- and Massie is likely the House representative the pro-Israel lobby would most like to eliminate. The idea of him ascending to the Senate has pro-Israel forces racing to DEFCON1.
“If Tom Massie chooses to enter the race for US Senate in Kentucky, the RJC campaign budget to ensure he is defeated will be unlimited,” warned Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks in a statement to Jewish Insider. The Republican Jewish Coalition has tried to defeat Massie before. In 2020, the RJC backed Republican Todd McMurtry in challenging Massie in the GOP primary -- only to see Massie trounce McMurtry in an 81% to 19% rout.
So intense is their opposition to Massie that last year, pro-Israel forces starting preemptively spending money to weaken Massie's Senate prospects. Despite the fact that Massie faced no viable GOP opponent nor any Democrat opponent at all, the intentionally-vaguely-named United Democracy Project -- the independent campaign-spending arm of the mighty American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) -- said it would spend $300,000 on ads on Fox television affiliates in Kentucky. "We are trying to shine a light on the radical anti-Israel record of Tom Massie," said spokesman Patrick Dorton. "We want every single voter in the state of Kentucky to know about his anti-Israel actions." Here's their over-the-top ad:
https://t.co/hEJYFaBcPp pic.twitter.com/yoIdIg0pEX
— United Democracy Project (@UnitedDemocProj) May 9, 2024
In a direct challenge to the Israel lobby, Massie has pushed for the Department of Justice to compel AIPAC and its associates to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law that requires individuals and organizations that work to advance the policies of foreign governments to disclose their relationships, actions and compensation.
Thomas Massie has publicly stated that every Republican member of Congress, except himself, has an "AIPAC babysitter" to ensure they vote in line with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's interests. pic.twitter.com/VHTWSRm8rZ
— Radical Subtard (@magasubtard) January 3, 2025
If Massie does run for Senate, spending by the RJC and other pro-Israel groups on the race could make it an extraordinarily pricy race. That dynamic was on display in the 2024 cycle: AIPAC successfully targeted incumbent Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and poured an astonishing $14 million into the race -- helping to make it the most expensive House primary contest ever.
Within hours of Mitch McConnell's announcement that he would not run for re-election in 2026, former Kentucky attorney-general Daniel Cameron formally declared his candidacy. McConnell is considered a mentor to Cameron, making Cameron the establishment-designated heir apparent. Undeclared candidates who've signaled a strong interest in the seat include Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr and waste-and-recycling businessman Nate Morris. Last week at CPAC, Morris condemned both Cameron and Barr for "refus[ing] to call out Mitch McConnell for the sabotage of President Trump's agenda."
Ma’am, you voted to send those bombs to Israel. https://t.co/N1g1bG7goE
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 28, 2024
In a Monday interview with Ann Coulter, Massie used his characteristic dry wit to express a middling appetite for a Senate seat:
"It's the the same circus with different monkeys...Here's the good news: I'm not even in the race for Senate and the only poll that's been released shows me in second place."
Massie was likely referring to a December poll that showed him with 16% support, second to Cameron's 32% but ahead of Barr's 10%. In the same interview, Massie said he consulted Grok about his choice: The X AI engine said a 2027 bid for Kentucky governor would be his best move. That may be best for Massie and his fellow Kentuckians, but it would remove one of the few truly principled voices from the federal legislature -- one who heeds George Washington's warning to avoid "passionate attachments" to any foreign countries, a failing that "facilitat[es] the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists."
Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie is teasing a potential run for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat in 2026, and a Jewish Republican group is already threatening to unleash “unlimited” spending to thwart any such bid, given his frequent opposition to legislation pushed by the pro-Israel lobby.
On Thursday, Massie posted a poll on X, asking if he should stay in the House, run for Senate in 2026, or run for governor in 2027. A Senate campaign was the choice of 67% of the respondents.
If you were me, would you:
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 20, 2025
The libertarian-minded Massie opposes all foreign aid. At his own political peril, he dares to make no exception for the State of Israel, which is among the world’s richest countries. He has also voted against legislation that would infringe on free speech by, for example, punishing colleges that allow students and professors to say the wrong things about Israel.
Add it all up — and stir in the fact that he’s a member of a party whose legislators almost universally toe the pro-Israel line — and Massie is likely the House representative the pro-Israel lobby would most like to eliminate. The idea of him ascending to the Senate has pro-Israel forces racing to DEFCON1.
“If Tom Massie chooses to enter the race for US Senate in Kentucky, the RJC campaign budget to ensure he is defeated will be unlimited,” warned Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks in a statement to Jewish Insider. The Republican Jewish Coalition has tried to defeat Massie before. In 2020, the RJC backed Republican Todd McMurtry in challenging Massie in the GOP primary — only to see Massie trounce McMurtry in an 81% to 19% rout.
So intense is their opposition to Massie that last year, pro-Israel forces starting preemptively spending money to weaken Massie’s Senate prospects. Despite the fact that Massie faced no viable GOP opponent nor any Democrat opponent at all, the intentionally-vaguely-named United Democracy Project — the independent campaign-spending arm of the mighty American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — said it would spend $300,000 on ads on Fox television affiliates in Kentucky. “We are trying to shine a light on the radical anti-Israel record of Tom Massie,” said spokesman Patrick Dorton. “We want every single voter in the state of Kentucky to know about his anti-Israel actions.” Here’s their over-the-top ad:
https://t.co/hEJYFaBcPp pic.twitter.com/yoIdIg0pEX
— United Democracy Project (@UnitedDemocProj) May 9, 2024
In a direct challenge to the Israel lobby, Massie has pushed for the Department of Justice to compel AIPAC and its associates to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law that requires individuals and organizations that work to advance the policies of foreign governments to disclose their relationships, actions and compensation.
Thomas Massie has publicly stated that every Republican member of Congress, except himself, has an “AIPAC babysitter” to ensure they vote in line with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s interests. pic.twitter.com/VHTWSRm8rZ
— Radical Subtard (@magasubtard) January 3, 2025
If Massie does run for Senate, spending by the RJC and other pro-Israel groups on the race could make it an extraordinarily pricy race. That dynamic was on display in the 2024 cycle: AIPAC successfully targeted incumbent Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and poured an astonishing $14 million into the race — helping to make it the most expensive House primary contest ever.
Within hours of Mitch McConnell’s announcement that he would not run for re-election in 2026, former Kentucky attorney-general Daniel Cameron formally declared his candidacy. McConnell is considered a mentor to Cameron, making Cameron the establishment-designated heir apparent. Undeclared candidates who’ve signaled a strong interest in the seat include Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr and waste-and-recycling businessman Nate Morris. Last week at CPAC, Morris condemned both Cameron and Barr for “refus[ing] to call out Mitch McConnell for the sabotage of President Trump’s agenda.”
Ma’am, you voted to send those bombs to Israel. https://t.co/N1g1bG7goE
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 28, 2024
In a Monday interview with Ann Coulter, Massie used his characteristic dry wit to express a middling appetite for a Senate seat:
“It’s the the same circus with different monkeys…Here’s the good news: I’m not even in the race for Senate and the only poll that’s been released shows me in second place.”
Massie was likely referring to a December poll that showed him with 16% support, second to Cameron’s 32% but ahead of Barr’s 10%. In the same interview, Massie said he consulted Grok about his choice: The X AI engine said a 2027 bid for Kentucky governor would be his best move. That may be best for Massie and his fellow Kentuckians, but it would remove one of the few truly principled voices from the federal legislature — one who heeds George Washington’s warning to avoid “passionate attachments” to any foreign countries, a failing that “facilitat[es] the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists.”
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