By Ken Thomas and Anthony DeBarros

WASHINGTON -- A majority of President Trump-endorsed Indiana state Senate candidates prevailed Tuesday in closely watched Republican primaries, a sign that the president's grip on the party base remains firm after he pushed to oust GOP lawmakers who rebuffed his demands to redraw the state's congressional maps.

Trump and his Republican allies worked to defeat seven incumbent GOP state senators up for re-election who voted against a Trump-backed, mid-decade redistricting proposal last year. Trump also endorsed a Republican candidate competing for an open state Senate seat.

Election returns from the Associated Press showed that at least five Trump-backed challengers won in their primaries, including Blake Fiechter, Tracey Powell, Michelle Davis, Brian Schmutzler and Trevor De Vries. So far, one Republican incumbent -- Greg Goode -- has survived his primary despite opposition from Trump. One more Trump-backed challenger is locked in a tight race against an incumbent senator, but the race hasn't yet been called.

Jeff Ellington, who was endorsed by Trump in the open seat, also prevailed in his primary to succeed a Republican who rejected the redistricting plan and didn't seek re-election.

The primary races offered a window into whether Trump's Make America Great Again political movement remains formidable in the months before congressional Republicans defend their majorities in November's midterm elections.

The president has been dealing with sagging approval ratings and discontent on the economy over high costs and the rise in fuel prices during the conflict with Iran. A group of House Republicans broke ranks with the president over tariffs earlier this year, and several GOP lawmakers successfully pressed for the release of the files last November related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein despite initial Trump opposition.

Trump has sought to use the power of his endorsement to maintain control over Republican officeholders. In some cases, he has backed primary challengers in key primaries this year, including coming contests featuring Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.), both of whom have bucked some of his agenda.

"The president has had an agenda, and the president and his team expect members of Congress, governors, state legislators, to follow through on that agenda," said Marty Obst, an Indiana-based Republican strategist who led the redistricting push.

Trump pressured Indiana Republicans last year to pass a new congressional map, an effort aimed at flipping two congressional seats held by Democrats in the state.

The president was angered by the group of Republican lawmakers who opposed his plan in Indiana, leading to its demise in a state Trump easily won in his three presidential campaigns. He said in a social-media post in December that the GOP state senators should be ashamed of themselves and "every one of these people should be 'primaried.'"

Ahead of Tuesday's results, Trump wished luck on his Truth Social platform to the Senate candidates "who are running against people who couldn't care less about our Country, or about keeping the Majority in Congress."

The redistricting plan divided Republican lawmakers in Indiana, with some raising concerns about normalizing gerrymandering efforts outside of the typical process of redrawing congressional maps every 10 years after the U.S. census to reflect population changes.

State Sen. Rod Bray, the Republican leader in the chamber, said during the redistricting fight that while he supported Republicans maintaining control of the U.S. House, his caucus preferred to win elections under the current map. Trump has repeatedly criticized Bray, who is not up for re-election until 2028.

The rare intraparty squabble led to about $12 million in spending on television, digital and radio ads in Indiana state Senate races, according to AdImpact. Some of the biggest spenders backing Trump's picks included Hoosier Leadership for America PAC, linked to Sen. Jim Banks (R., Ind.), and American Leadership PAC, a group led by an adviser to Vice President JD Vance.

Republicans have pushed for a redrawing of congressional maps under Trump's direction, with Texas and North Carolina primaries earlier this spring using maps redrawn to add Republican seats this election cycle. Democratic leaders in states such as California and Virginia have responded, creating a tit-for-tat dynamic of midcycle redistricting ahead of the midterm elections.

More recently, Republicans have called for a group of Southern states to quickly redraw their congressional maps after the Supreme Court ruled last month to curb the use of race in the drawing of the districts.

Two members of Indiana's congressional delegation defeated primary challengers: Rep. Jim Baird (R., Ind.), who represents a district northwest of Indianapolis and was backed by Trump, and Rep. Andre Carson (D., Ind.), who represents the Indianapolis area.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, Trump stalwart Vivek Ramaswamy advanced in the state's Republican primary for governor. He would face Democrat Amy Acton, a former Ohio health director who worked closely with Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a key Senate race, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) will face Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to fill the seat of Vice President JD Vance and is seeking to retain the remainder of the six-year term.

Ohio Republicans were also choosing a challenger to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Ohio), who represents a Toledo-area district and remains one of the top GOP targets in the race to control the House. Voters were also picking challengers to face a group of congressional Republicans, including Rep. Mike Turner (R., Ohio), who represents a Dayton-area district and is a top target for Democrats.

Write to Ken Thomas at ken.thomas@wsj.com and Anthony DeBarros at anthony.debarros@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 05, 2026 21:29 ET (01:29 GMT)

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