In 2025, the Indiana state legislature considered a bill to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade — a gerrymander designed to hand Republicans additional House seats. Twenty-one Republican state senators joined Democrats to kill it, 31–19. That was a rare act of defiance. Trump noticed. He threatened to primary every one of them. On May 6, 2026, he made good on that promise.
The Hit List.
Trump and his allied groups targeted seven of the 21 Republicans who voted against the redistricting bill — the ones facing primary elections in 2026. They endorsed challengers, pumped millions into races that would normally attract a few yard signs and a church fish fry, and turned state senate primaries into a national test of loyalty.
The results, per the Associated Press:
District 1: Incumbent Dan Dernulc — DEFEATED by Trump-backed Trevor De Vries.
District 11: Incumbent Linda Rogers — DEFEATED by Trump-backed Brian Schmutzler.
District 19: Incumbent Travis Holdman — DEFEATED by Trump-backed Blake Fiechter.
District 21: Incumbent Jim Buck (in office since 1994) — DEFEATED by Trump-backed Tracey Powell. Buck was endorsed by Mike Pence.
District 41: Incumbent Greg Walker — DEFEATED by Trump-backed Michelle Davis.
District 23: Incumbent Spencer Deery — claimed victory by 3 votes over Trump-backed Paula Copenhaver. Race may be contested.
District 38: Incumbent Greg Goode — SURVIVED with 54% of the vote.
Five gone. One clinging by three votes. One survived. That’s the scoreboard.
Trump v. Pence.
The District 21 race was especially telling. Sen. Jim Buck had been in office since 1994 — three decades of service to Indiana Republicans. He was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who served as Indiana’s governor before becoming Trump’s running mate in 2016.
Trump endorsed challenger Tracey Powell. Powell won.
This wasn’t just a primary. It was a public execution of Pence’s influence in his home state. The former Vice President of the United States, the former Governor of Indiana, backed a candidate in a state senate race — and Trump rolled over him. Pence has been persona non grata in Trump’s Republican Party since January 6, 2021, when he refused to overturn the election and a mob erected a gallows with his name on it. Indiana just proved that his political capital isn’t worth a yard sign in his own backyard.
“I want to thank President Donald Trump for his support. I’m proud to stand with him in fighting for commonsense policies that protect our freedoms and put Americans and Hoosiers First.” — Rep. Michelle Davis (R), who defeated incumbent Greg Walker
The Money.
These are state senate races. In a normal cycle, they might cost $50,000 to $100,000 combined. This time, millions poured in from Trump-allied groups and national organizations. The incumbents were massively outspent. Sen. Spencer Deery, who clung to his seat by three votes, said afterward: “We were massively outspent, but Hoosier voices prevailed.”
But did they? Copenhaver, the Trump-backed challenger, also claimed victory and said she expects the result to change once provisional ballots are counted. That race may be contested for weeks.
Why This Matters Beyond Indiana.
This is about more than seven state senators in a mid-market state. This is the playbook, and it’s working.
Last year, when 21 Indiana Republican senators voted against Trump’s gerrymandering bill, Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray said he had “no regrets.” He told CNN ahead of Tuesday’s vote that lawmakers did the right thing. Bray wasn’t up for election himself, but five of his colleagues who shared that view are now gone. The lesson is unmistakable: the next time a redistricting bill comes to the Indiana state senate floor, the math will be different. The new senators owe their seats to Trump. They will vote accordingly.
And it’s not just Indiana. This comes in the same week that the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, clearing the way for a nationwide gerrymandering spree. Alabama called a special session. Tennessee is redrawing its maps to split Memphis into three districts, eliminating the state’s last Democratic seat. Florida has already passed a new DeSantis map adding four Republican seats. Any Republican state legislator thinking about standing in the way of these maps just watched what happened to Indiana’s holdouts.
“It’s highly unusual to see so many challengers defeat incumbents.” — Indiana political experts
The Celebration.
Trump celebrated the wins with a series of posts on Truth Social late Tuesday night, posting pictures of himself juxtaposed with images of the winning candidates. The message wasn’t subtle. It never is.
In another Trump-backed race, a candidate running in a district where an anti-redistricting senator chose not to seek reelection was also projected to win. The purge extended even to open seats. Nowhere to hide.
This is what the Republican Party looks like in 2026. Obedience isn’t rewarded. It’s required. Dissent isn’t tolerated. It’s punished. And the voters who showed up on Tuesday in these state senate primaries — in races that usually attract a few hundred people — were motivated by one question: did this person do what Trump wanted? Five times out of seven, the answer was no. And five times out of seven, the voters replaced them with someone who will.
The redistricting bill that got killed last year? Don’t be surprised if it comes back. The new Indiana state senate will be a lot more compliant.
Sources.
- ABC News: Trump-backed candidates beat at least 5 of 7 Indiana GOP senators who defied him on redistricting, AP projects — May 6, 2026. AP projections. Full results for all 7 races. 21 Republican senators voted against redistricting bill 31–19 in 2025. Trump endorsed challengers in 7 of those races. Pence endorsed Jim Buck, who lost to Trump’s pick Tracey Powell. Deery declared victory by 3 votes; Copenhaver also claimed win.
- WFYI (Indiana NPR): Trump-backed challengers defeat Indiana senators who blocked redistricting push — May 5, 2026. Michelle Davis quote thanking Trump. Deery: “massively outspent.” Copenhaver also claimed victory. Political experts: “highly unusual.” Shows Trump’s continued strength in the state.
- Washington Examiner: Trump gets revenge in Indiana as most redistricting rebels fall to president’s picks — May 6, 2026. Complete list of winners: Trevor De Vries, Brian Schmutzler, Blake Fiechter, Tracey Powell, Michelle Davis defeated Dernulc, Rogers, Holdman, Buck, Walker. Greg Goode sole survivor. Spencer Deery still contested.
- Axios: Trump revenge tour steamrolls Indiana holdouts — May 6, 2026. Trump political apparatus defeated 6 of 8 targeted legislators. Context on mid-decade redistricting effort and Trump’s retribution campaign. Characterizes the results as a definitive show of force.
- WTHR Indianapolis: 2026 Indiana Primary Election Results — May 6, 2026. Live election night coverage. Race-by-race results with vote percentages. Greg Goode retained with 54% (District 38). Trump celebrated with Truth Social posts. Congressional races also tracked.