A number of challengers to Indiana’s Republican state senators who voted against President Donald Trump’s mid-decade redistricting push were invited to a meeting at the White House.
Indiana’s Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin of the 9th District met with a half dozen of these primary challengers, as did Trump himself, campaign spokespeople for Banks and Houchin confirmed. PunchBowl News first reported the meeting.
Attendees at the March 4 meeting included state Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, who is running for the state senate seat held by vocal redistricting opponent Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus; Brenda Wilson, who is challenging Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute; Paula Copenhaver, running against Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette; Tracey Powell, who is challenging Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo; Blake Fiechter, challenging Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle; and Jeff Ellington, one of three Republicans who filed to run for the open seat held by retiring Sen. Eric Bassler, R-Washington.
Trump has given boilerplate endorsements on Truth Social to all of the five meeting attendees who are challenging incumbents. Fiechter, a first-term city councilor from Bluffton, Trump even endorsed before he decided to run.
Trump had promised to do so after the Indiana Senate, controlled by Republicans, rejected his push for a new congressional map in December. A number of other interest groups, such as Turning Point USA and Club For Growth, have also pledged to support primary challengers seeking to oust anti-redistricting incumbents.
The primary election is May 5.
Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X@kayla_dwyer17.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Trump meets challengers to Indiana senators who opposed redistricting
Reporting by Kayla Dwyer, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
