President Donald Trump has gotten involved in Indiana elections before, but not at the level of a Statehouse primary ― let alone 19 of them.
He had promised retribution if Indiana Republican senators rejected his push for mid-decade redistricting, and he has delivered by endorsing challengers to seven incumbents, plus a newcomer in an open seat. More recently, Trump has also endorsed the remaining Indiana Senate Republicans running for reelection who voted in favor of redistricting.
He posted these endorsements to Truth Social, each with a boilerplate set of language. In the case of challenger endorsements, the person is running against a “RINO” and “America Last” incumbent who, “for whatever reason,” voted against redistricting; on the contrary, this primary challenger will “fight tirelessly to protect Hoosier values” and a list of Trump’s other top issues, from the border to the Second Amendment.
Along with these endorsements come the pledge by out-of-state groups to spend millions in these races, driving up expenses to an extraordinary amount for races that are typically sleepy. Television ads and mailers have already started popping up in these districts.
Here’s who’s running in each of these Statehouse districts where Trump is boosting a challenger to an incumbent or otherwise a political newcomer.
Senate District 1
Where it is: In a portion of Lake County.
What we’re watching: The Trump endorsement in this race was a late one ― while Trump isued a round of endorsements in six state Senate races months ago, during the second week of April he added two more, including in this district. The incumbent here, Sen. Dan Dernulc of Highland, is a relatively quiet one, having only served one term so far and without making waves, other than voting against redistricting. There’s a third Republican in this primary who Trump has not acknowledged. We will be interested to see if the unexplained delay has an impact on the power of Trump’s endorsement.
Who Trump endorsed: Trevor De Vries, a St. John resident who works in risk assessment and insurance. View his campaign website here.
The incumbent: Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, a senator since 2022 and a retired project manager at AT&T. View his campaign website here.
Who else is running:
Senate District 11
Where it is: Portions of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
What we’re watching: This is the second late endorsement from Trump that came a month before the primary. The incumbent, Sen. Linda Rogers of Granger, has enlisted the help of popular former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels in the form of an appearance at one of her fundraisers. Meanwhile, Trump and Turning Point Action have jumped in to support her primary opponent.
Who Trump endorsed: Dr. Brian Schmutzler, a physician in Granger. View his campaign website here.
The incumbent: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, a senator since 2018 who owns a golf course and is president of Nugent Builders. View her campaign website here.
Who else is running: Gabrianna Gratzol, an Elkhart resident who works at a plastics manufacturing plant, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. View her campaign website here.
Senate District 19
Where it is: Adams, Blackford, Jay and Wells counties and a portion of Allen County in northeast Indiana
What we’re watching: The incumbent Republican Sen. Travis Holdman, who holds a leadership role as majority caucus chair in the Indiana Senate, has held this district comfortably and without almost any competition since 2008. He’s only ever had one primary opponent, in 2018, who he beat overwhelmingly. Now his incumbency will be put to the test by a relative political newcomer who will have the firepower of a Trump endorsement and the money from outside groups. Trump endorsed Blake Fiechter, a young first-term city councilor in Bluffton, even before Fiechter had decided whether he was going to run. He ultimately jumped in, then called off his campaign, but has since joined up again.
Who Trump endorsed: Blake Fiechter, a city councilor in Bluffton, real estate investor and sixth-generation Wells County resident. Visit his campaign website here.
The incumbent: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, a senator since 2008 who is also a practicing attorney. He was previously a Wells County Deputy Prosecutor and GOP chair. Visit his campaign website here.
Who else is running: Timothy Murphy, a Fort Wayne pastor and first-time candidate, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Visit his campaign website here.
Senate District 21
Where it is: Tipton County and portions of Hamilton and Howard counties in north central Indiana.
What we’re watching: Here’s another Republican primary where a longtime incumbent who’s faced nary a challenger now faces the might of Trump and allies. This is the first time Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, a senator since 2008, has had a primary opponent. That Trump-endorsed opponent, Tracey Powell, didn’t actually intend to challenge Buck ― when Powell filed his candidacy last June, he thought Buck was going to retire, but then Buck announced his reelection campaign thereafter. Nor was redistricting Powell’s reason for getting in the race. Nonetheless, he’s got the backing of Trump and allies.
Who Trump endorsed: Tracey Powell, a chiropractor, Tipton County commissioner since 2020 and a member of the Indiana County Commissioners Association. Visit his campaign website here.
The incumbent: Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, a senator since 2008 and a retired real estate broker. Visit his campaign website here.
Who else is running:
Senate District 23
Where it is: Fountain, Parke, Vermillion, Warren and portions of Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties.
What we’re watching: This district’s GOP contest is a little bit familiar. Incumbent Sen. Spencer Deery first ran for this seat in 2022, when he narrowly defeated three other Republicans for what was then an open seat. One of his competitors then, Paula Copenhaver, is back, this time with the Trump endorsement. Deery, meanwhile, was one of the earliest and most ardent opponents of mid-decade redistricting.
Who Trump endorsed: Paula Copenhaver, a governmental affairs director in Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office and the Fountain County GOP chair.
The incumbent: Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, a senator since 2022. He previously worked at Purdue University as deputy chief of staff to then-President Mitch Daniels, and is still special assistant for Purdue University Global and President Emeritus Daniels. Visit his campaign website here.
Who else is running: David Sanders, a Purdue professor, West Lafayette city councilor and community organizer against a water pipeline to the LEAP district, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Visit his campaign website here.
Senate District 38
Where it is: Vigo County, Clay County and part of Sullivan County in western Indiana.
What we’re watching: This race is unique for more than one reason. Not only has Trump endorsed a challenger to one-term Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, but there is a third candidate in this Republican primary. The third candidate, Alexandra Wilson, has the same last name as the Trump-endorsed candidate, Brenda Wilson, which has led prominent attorney Jim Bopp to represent a legal challenge to Alexandra’s candidacy, alleging she is a mere ruse to confuse voters away from Brenda. (Alexandra denies this.) Goode, meanwhile, was the only Republican senator to hold a public town hall to hear out his constituents on redistricting last year.
Who Trump endorsed: Brenda Wilson, a Vigo County Council member and an outreach representative for Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. Visit her campaign website here.
The incumbent: Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, a senator who was caucused into his seat in 2023 to serve out the remaining term of outgoing Sen. Jon Ford. He is also the state director for U.S. Sen. Todd Young. Visit his campaign Facebook page here.
Who else is running:
Senate District 39
Where it is: Daviess, Greene, Knox, Martin counties and portions of Owen and Sullivan counties in southwest Indiana
What we’re watching: The incumbent senator in this district, Sen. Eric Bassler of Washington, is retiring, but that didn’t stop Trump and allies from weighing in and endorsing Jeff Ellington, a former state representative, for the open seat. This would be Ellington’s third try at a comeback after getting drawn out of his seat during the last round of redistricting in 2021. In 2022 and 2024 he lost in the Republican primaries for his new House district against state Rep. Bruce Borders, R-Jasonville. Ellington has the support of Attorney General Todd Rokita, too, in his primary that includes a staffer for Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, Kristi Risk, who Trump criticized in his Truth Social post for not explicitly supporting redistricting; as well as a political newcomer in Tanner Bouchie who Trump has ignored in his posts and polling. Risk has her own set of allies and endorsements, including from anti-abortion groups like Indiana Right to Life and American Family Association of Indiana as well as the state’s top budget writer, Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, who voted against redistricting.
Who Trump endorsed: Jeff Ellington, a former Bloomington state representative, horse former, owner of a tree care business and Greene County GOP chair. Visit his campaign website here.
The incumbent: None. Sen. Eric Bassler, R-Washington, a senator since 2014, is not seeking reelection.
Who else is running:
Senate District 41
Where it is: Bartholomew County and a portion of Johnson County in central Indiana.
What we’re watching: Here’s an interesting tête-à-tête between two current Statehouse Republican lawmakers that almost wasn’t. State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, announced her intention to run for the Senate seat back when the longtime incumbent, Sen. Greg Walker of Columbus, had said he planned to retire. Walker ended up being one of the most vocal opponents of redistricting during the two-week debate in the Senate in December, and the experience led him to change his mind and run. Now Davis is collecting endorsements from not only Trump, but state treasurer Daniel Elliott.
Who Trump endorsed: Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, a state representative since 2020 and director of adult education at Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood. Visit her campaign website here.
The incumbent: Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, a senator since 2006 who decided to run again after the redistricting fight, despite initially saying he would retire. Visit his campaign website here.
Who else is running: Ross Thomas, an attorney living in Columbus who owns a law firm in Indianapolis, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Visit his campaign website here.
Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X@kayla_dwyer17.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Inside the Indiana primary election races with Trump endorsements
Reporting by Kayla Dwyer, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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