The Libertarian Party of Kentucky has nominated Jeremy Todd to run for Congress in Kentucky’s 4th District following the Republican primary defeat of longtime Congressman Thomas Massie.

Todd’s nomination comes just days after Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein defeated Massie by a 55-45 margin in one of the most expensive U.S. House primaries in American history. The Kentucky Libertarian Party moved quickly to fill the vacuum left by Massie’s defeat, convening a special nominating convention and selecting Todd as its candidate for the November general election. Under Kentucky law, Todd must gather 400 valid signatures from registered voters in the district and submit a $500 filing fee by June 2 to secure a place on the ballot.

Todd has framed his candidacy as a direct response to Massie’s loss. Asked on social media whether Kentucky Libertarians would have fielded a candidate had Massie survived the Republican primary, Todd replied, “Never run against Massie or his crew,” adding that his campaign decision “is vengeance.”

Todd is carrying forward many of the same principles that made Massie popular among libertarian-leaning voters, including opposition to foreign wars, government spending, and more. He advocates for … [a] dramatic reduction in taxation across the board, moving toward a system where people keep as much of what they earn as possible, and where government is forced to live within strict, transparent limits.

Some activists have rallied around Todd’s campaign, arguing that Massie’s defeat was the result of an establishment effort, and have openly called on voters to “avenge Thomas Massie” by rejecting Gallrein in the general election.

Todd, a salesperson and member of the Kentucky Libertarian Party’s Membership Review Committee, has previously advocated for greater transparency within the Libertarian Party, stronger outreach to politically homeless voters, and a greater focus on measurable results.

If Todd successfully qualifies for the ballot, the race could become a test of whether voters who supported Massie’s independent-minded brand of politics are willing to abandon the Republican nominee and back a Libertarian challenger instead. For Todd and his supporters, the campaign has gone clearly beyond a congressional race into an effort to deliver political payback for the defeat of one of the Republican Party’s most prominent libertarian voices.