Donald Trump’s Backed Candidates Sweep Indiana GOP State Senate Primaries After Redistricting Fight

President Donald Trump’s backed candidates swept Indiana GOP state Senate primaries after the Indiana legislature rejected a Trump-backed redistricting plan, with five incumbent Indiana Republican state senators losing their primaries. Trevor De Vries, Brian Schmutzler, Blake Fiechter, Tracey Powell, and Michelle Davis defeated state Sens. Dan Dernulc, Linda Rogers, Travis Holdman, Jim Buck, and Greg Walker, respectively, while the race between Trump-backed Paula Copenhaver and state Sen. Spencer Deery was still uncalled Tuesday night. The only incumbent to survive was State Sen. Greg Goode, who fended off a challenge from Trump-backed Brenda Wilson. Ahead of Tuesday’s contests, Trump vowed political payback against what he labeled “RINOs,” or Republicans in name only, after the redistricting fight.

“Trump pummels Indiana GOP rebels and Ohio sets Senate table: takeaways The president reaffirmed his dominance among Republicans”

USA Today

Trump taunted the targeted incumbents ahead of the results in a post on Truth Social, referring to them as “RINOs” or Republicans in name only. The Washington Examiner reported that Trump wrote, “Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring,” after the Indiana legislature rejected the plan in December. USA TODAY said the president’s allies spent millions in the Indiana races, with groups supporting the redistricting gambit such as Hoosier Leadership for America and American Leadership PAC “doled out about $6 million against the targeted incumbents.” In one of the contests, USA TODAY quoted Blake Fiechter saying, “This was a tough, gut-punching race,” after defeating state Sen. Travis Holdman by roughly 22 percentage points.

The Indiana results were framed as part of a broader redistricting battle intensifying nationwide ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with both parties pushing to redraw maps in key states including California, Virginia, and Florida. The USA TODAY takeaways said the Supreme Court’s action “striking down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act” supercharged the gerrymandering arms race, and it pointed to Ohio as another state where voters will test a redrawn congressional district made more favorable for Republicans. In Indiana, Gov. Mike Braun celebrated the outcome, writing on X, “Historic night for Indiana as Republicans stood with me and President Trump to nominate some great America First conservatives,” and he said, “I look forward to winning big in November and serving Hoosiers with this team in the statehouse!” The Washington Examiner also reported that Sen. Jim Banks said the elections should serve as an “important lesson” to Indiana politics, adding, “President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters.”

“Five incumbent Indiana Republican state senators lost their primaries to candidates backed by President Donald Trump and only one survived with one race yet to be called, capping the president’s retribution campaign in the state”

Washington Examiner