Indiana’s May 5 primary election tested President Donald Trump’s influence after he endorsed several state Senate candidates seeking to unseat Republican incumbents who had previously broken ranks with him by opposing a redistricting map.
At least six out of the eight Indiana Senate challengers endorsed by Trump won their respective primary elections on Tuesday, most with significant leads.
A ‘big night for MAGA in Indiana.’
Twenty-one GOP state senators voted with their Democrat colleagues in December to block a new congressional map that would have created two more Republican-leaning districts and potentially strengthened the GOP’s control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The effort failed in a 31-19 vote, despite Trump’s warnings that he would target Republicans in the upcoming primary election who voted against it.
Republicans who voted against the redistricting effort and who were seeking re-election in the May primary included:
James Buck (District 21)Spencer Deery (District 23)Dan Dernulc (District 1)Greg Goode (District 38)Travis Holdman (District 19)Rick Niemeyer (District 6)Linda Rogers (District 11)Greg Walker (District 41)
Republican state Senators Eric Bassler (District 39) and Kyle Walker (District 31) also voted against the redistricting map. However, neither is seeking re-election.
Trump issued a wave of endorsements for eight of the races.
“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. There are eight Great Patriots running against long seated RINOS — Let’s see how those RINOS do tonight!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Primary Election Day.
Indian polls closed at 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, and early results began rolling in shortly after.
RELATED: Trump launches ‘RINO’ purge in Indiana as primary looms
Kaiti Sullivan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Trump-backed Blake Fiechter took an early lead over incumbent Holdman for District 19, prompting several outlets to call the race less than two hours after polls had closed.
Buck, from District 21, was unseated by Tracey Powell, another Trump-backed candidate.
Michelle Davis, who received the president’s support, defeated Walker in District 41.
Trump challenger Trevor De Vries beat incumbent Dernulc in District 1.
Dr. Brian Schmutzler, another Trump pick, scored a victory against Rogers in District 11.
Trump-backed Jeff Ellington secured Bassler’s open seat in District 39.
Kaiti Sullivan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Trump’s pick for District 38, Brenda Wilson, lost to incumbent Goode. The race for District 23 between Deery and the Trump-backed challenger, Paula Copenhaver, is too close to call as of Wednesday morning.
U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) called it a “big night for MAGA in Indiana.”
Eric Daugherty of Florida’s Voice celebrated the results, declaring that the “RINO reign” was “coming to an end.” He noted that Goode’s win over Wilson was “one of VERY few wins these traitor RINOs will get tonight!”
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