Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, is resigning as Senate Majority Floor Leader, he told members of the Senate GOP caucus in a letter June 4.
“As we navigate the complex issues facing our state,” Garten said in the letter obtained by IndyStar, “it has become clear to me that serving as Floor Leader requires a seamless alignment with the current strategic direction of leadership—an alignment I no longer maintain.”
The resignation, effective immediately, comes months after a divisive vote on redrawing Indiana’s congressional map publicly split the caucus in December and earned President Donald Trump’s wrath. Trump saw Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, as the face of the resistance to mid-decade redistricting. Meanwhile, Garten was one of redistricting’s biggest proponents, delivering an impassioned speech ahead of the legislation’s failure.
When calls for Bray’s ouster intensified after the stunning defeat of several anti-redistricting senators, several GOP political observers suggested Garten could take his place. Garten’s resignation sets the stage for such a battle in the fall, though he’s not yet stated publicly if he’ll seek the position. A spokesperson for Garten did not immediately respond to an IndyStar question on the matter.
Bray previously told IndyStar that while he plans to run for his position again, he’ll respect the decision of the caucus.
“I appreciate Sen. Garten for serving in the Majority Floor Leader role and for the ways he has worked to advance legislation on behalf of our caucus,” Bray said in a statement to IndyStar. “We will continue to work together with the rest of our caucus members in the coming months as we tackle topics assigned to interim study committees and prepare for the challenges of the upcoming budget session. As always, our goal is to advance legislation that improves the lives of Hoosiers, and that’s where Senate Republicans will continue to place our time and energy.”
This story may be updated.
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sen. Chris Garten resigns from Senate leadership. Could he run against Sen. Rod Bray?
Reporting by Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
