Photo: Alamy
Several Republican incumbents in Indiana lost primary races Tuesday to challengers backed by President Donald Trump, highlighting divisions within the party over redistricting and testing the president’s influence in the mostly Republican state.
Blake Fiechter defeated state Sen. Travis Holdman, Michelle Davis unseated state Sen. Greg Walker, and Tracey Powell beat state Sen. Jim Buck. Meanwhile, state Sen. Greg Goode survived a challenge from Trump-backed candidate Brenda Wilson.
The races were part of a broader effort by President Trump to target seven Republican lawmakers who opposed a push for mid-decade redistricting to strengthen GOP prospects in upcoming congressional elections.
“Good luck to those Great Indiana Senate Candidates who are running against people who couldn’t care less about our Country, or about keeping the Majority in Congress,” President Trump posted to Truth Social. “There are eight Great Patriots running against long seated RINOS — Let’s see how those RINOS do tonight!”
The battle drew significant attention and spending, with Trump-aligned groups investing millions of dollars in contests that typically receive little national focus.
Indiana Republicans were divided over the redistricting proposal, which broke from the usual once-per-decade process tied to the census. Some incumbents said they opposed the plan after hearing concerns from constituents, while others objected to the pressure campaign from national figures.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith framed the primaries as a test of the party’s willingness to take a more aggressive political approach, describing a divide between Republicans who “want to avoid the fight” and those who believe confrontation is necessary.
The effort to reshape Indiana’s congressional map had previously stalled, marking a rare setback for Trump’s push to encourage Republican-led states to redraw districts ahead of the midterm elections.
Prominent state Republicans, including Gov. Mike Braun and Sen. Jim Banks, supported efforts to unseat the incumbents.
