Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, will not seek re-election as leader of the state Senate, he announced July 31, after a brutal primary election that saw six incumbents ousted for opposing redistricting.
It’s a departure from Bray’s previous statements about his plans to stay in leadership. In a statement, a spokesperson for Bray attributed the decision to Bray’s duty to protect his fellow senators from further political retribution.
“Given promises to recruit and fund primary challengers for any senator who supports Bray’s bid to remain the leader of the Senate,” Bray spokesperson Molly Swigart said in a statement, “he has determined he will not put members in jeopardy from their own party simply because he is asking members to support his re-election as [Senate president pro tempore].”
Bray has previously lamented the intensity behind Trump’s push to oust anti-redistricting senators, framing the multimillion-dollar campaign as D.C. insiders meddling in Hoosier politics. Trump has largely blamed Bray for Indiana’s failure to redistrict, lambasting him as a “RINO” and urging a primary challenge.
“The Rod Brays of Politics are WEAK and PATHETIC,” Trump wrote in November 2025.
But while Trump didn’t get what he wanted on Indiana’s map, he decisively won his plot for revenge. In a single night, more Indiana senators lost to primary challengers than they had since 2002. Bray’s exit as leader only confirms that Trump’s push has fundamentally changed the political make-up of the chamber.
Earlier this year, Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, resigned from his position as Senate majority leader amid speculation that he may try to challenge Bray as leader. In his resignation, Garten, who supported redistricting, said he was no longer aligned with the “strategic direction of leadership.” Garten could not be immediately reached for comment.
“Serving as the President Pro Tem of the Senate for eight years has been among the most significant honors of my life, but it’s time for the Senate to choose another leader,” Bray said in a news release. “Our caucus has led the way in numerous policy areas, passing laws that resulted in more than 20 tax cuts, initiatives to lower the cost of health care, laws that resulted in a sharp increase in literacy rates in our schools, and measures that ushered in record capital investment through 2024. That’s a track record I will always stand behind, and I’m incredibly proud to have accomplished this work as the Pro Tem alongside my distinguished colleagues.”
The announcement was news to Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, who served through two previous president pro tempores.
“What an honorable person to put the will of the caucus ahead of himself,” Alting told IndyStar. “That’s what you call a leader.”
Alting said he thinks Garten may consider running to succeed Bray. While he hasn’t heard Garten say he will run for the position, Alting said Garten would be a good leader.
Bray was first elected as leader in 2018. While he won’t run again for leader, he will stay in the Senate as he is not up for re-election until 2028.
This story will be updated.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sen. Bray won’t seek reelection to leadership amid fallout from Trump’s redistricting push
Reporting by Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
