In the battle between a President Donald Trump-endorsed challenger and a Mike Pence-endorsed incumbent, Trump has won by a wide margin.
NBC News and Decision Desk HQ have called the Senate District 21 race for Trump-endorsed Tipton County Commissioner Tracey Powell, who bested longtime Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, by nearly 30 percentage points with nearly all votes counted.
Buck is one of seven incumbents Trump has directly challenged over their decision to reject redistricting. Trump’s endorsed candidate in four other races have also been declared victorious.
At a watch party in Kokomo, Buck struck a positive tone as he addressed a roomful of supporters and Howard County GOP officials, urging them to stay involved.
“I hope you’ll all stay engaged,” he said, as he stood at the podium next to his wife, Judy, who was visibly emotional. “I hope you will study the issues.”
But Buck, an 18-year veteran of the Indiana state Senate who just faced a bruising primary challenge, also expressed disappointment at the unprecedented level of intervention by the president and his allies. As a result, he said, the campaign revolved around retribution and money, not on the kitchen table issues concerning Hoosiers. And years of experience, not just Buck’s but also those of his other ousted colleagues in the Senate, were wiped out.
Buck said he now worries that what happened in Indiana will set a negative and lasting precedent, that future elections ― not just in the state but in the country ― will center on retribution and not on issues that matter to voters.
“Power becomes an insatiable appetite. And you’ve just got to be careful what you do with that power and money,” he said. “The irony is when a Democrat becomes president, and they will, they’re going to do the same thing.”
Powell did not attend the Howard County watch party, opting to have a private gathering of his own.
In a Facebook post, he thanked the voters and Trump, calling Trump’s support “incredible.”
“I am looking forward to continuing to share this vision moving forward to the fall,” he wrote. “I will continue to share my message supporting strong schools, affordable health care, thriving local businesses, and the freedom to live life without unnecessary government overreach.”
Trump allies, meanwhile, such as U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, boasted the results as evidence of Trump’s still-powerful influence in the party.
“Everyone in Indiana politics should have learned an important lesson today: President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters,” he said. “Indiana is a conservative state, and we deserve conservatives in our State Senate who have a pulse on Republican voters.”
It’s not clear to what extent the Pence endorsement truly helped Buck, who’s held his seat since 2008. News of that endorsement has not made waves on the ground there like Trump’s endorsement of Powell has, which was given in retribution for Buck’s vote against redistricting last year.
There were layers to this race beyond the endorsements. Powell got into the race before redistricting was part of the conversation, and at a time when he thought Buck was retiring. Buck said he ultimately decided to run again because he was asked to by his family and people in his district who appreciate his decades of experience.
In ordinary times, this would simply be a race between two community leaders who local residents consider serious candidates. Endorsements from local mayors in this district were divided between the two.
The district itself is diverse, covering the growing residential community of Westfield, rural agricultural Tipton County as well as Kokomo.
Like many incumbents facing such Trump-endorsed challengers, Buck outraised Powell in terms of traditional campaign donations, collecting $285,000 in the first quarter to Powell’s $43,000. But Powell reaped the benefit of millions in advertising spending by pro-redistricting groups like Hoosier Leadership for America and Club For Growth.
The Trump endorsement was pivotal for many voters IndyStar met as they assessed how to cast their ballots. Some voters said they voted for Powell simply because Trump said so, while others did the opposite because they don’t like the president.
Curtis Montgomery, 69, of Tipton said he voted for Powell because he wanted a new face in office. He was put off by what he heard about Buck in attack ads and was influenced by the Trump endorsement.A handful of voters said they felt they didn’t really know the candidates despite the deluge of campaign materials and attacks ads. Some said claims made in ads resonated with them, but they didn’t fact-check them before voting.
Depending on whom one asks, the splashy ads themselves have become more the talk of the town than the endorsements. Hoosiers rarely see this level of vitriol at such a local level.
The money poured into attack ads didn’t sway Gary and Gayle Usinger, 69 and 67. Gayle Usinger said she gets turned off and suspicious when campaign messages turn “nasty.”Neither cared much for Pence’s endorsement of Buck, either.“I used to like Mike Pence. I wanted him to be president,” Gary Usinger said, “But he disappointed me.”
They didn’t even know Buck had a primary challenger until a young man canvassing for Buck knocked on their door in a new Westfield subdivision, striking up a conversation and leaving a mailer behind. After that, the Usingers, who care about property taxes and illegal immigration, did more research. That research ended with a conclusion to vote for Powell.
Cate Charron and Kristine Phillips contributed reporting.
Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X@kayla_dwyer17.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pence-backed Sen. Jim Buck ousted by Trump-endorsed candidate
Reporting by Kayla Dwyer and Kristine Phillips, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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