Trump takes scalps in Indiana, flexing power over GOP
by Jared Gans - 05/06/26 6:55 AM ET
President Trump demonstrated the extent of his power in the Republican Party on Tuesday night as five out of seven Indiana GOP state senators lost their primaries to Trump-backed challengers by a wide margin.
After the Indiana state Senate refused to approve a new congressional map for the upcoming midterms this year, the president endorsed a slate of challengers to seven lawmakers who voted against the map, which would have eliminated both of the two Democratic-leaning districts.
Trump took victory laps in posts on Truth Social as the results came in throughout the night.
Those who lost their primaries include GOP state Sens. Dan Dernulc, Travis Holdman, James Buck, Linda Rogers and Greg Walker — all by double-digit margins.
State Sen. Greg Goode fended off his challengers comfortably, winning his primary by 17 points over his closest opponent. One race remains too close to call, as state Sen. Spencer Deery is clinging to a three-vote lead against his Trump-backed opponent, as of the latest vote count.
One additional GOP state senator who opposed redistricting also lost their primary. The president didn’t formally endorse the opponent to state Sen. Rick Niemeyer, but he still called for his defeat.
Niemeyer lost by the narrowest margin of all those who were defeated, by just more than 12 points.
Trump reiterated his opposition to the eight state lawmakers earlier Tuesday, taunting them as “RINOS,” an acronym meaning “Republican in name only.”
“Good luck to those Great Indiana Senate Candidates who are running against people who couldn’t care less about our Country, or about keeping the Majority in Congress,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
The success of the president’s endorsements, even in traditionally low-key state legislative races, underscores his grip on the GOP, despite his falling approval ratings overall and to some extent with members of his party.
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https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5865414-donald-trump-influence-gop-indiana-state-elections-2026/
