An Indiana state senator who was among a slew of incumbent Republicans defeated by Donald Trump-backed challengers in primary contests has blasted the president’s influence on the races.
State Sen. Travis Holdman lost to Blake Fiechter in the 19th District GOP primary by more than 20 percentage points on Tuesday. He was one of five Indiana Republican legislators ousted by Trump-endorsed challengers on Tuesday after opposing the president’s aggressive redistricting plans in the state ahead of November’s midterms.
Holdman—who also faced a $1.3 million attack-ad blitz from PACs affiliated with Indiana Sen. Jim Banks and Gov. Mike Braun—condemned Trump’s intervention in the race that ended his nearly 20-year tenure.
“I have one message for people: Revenge and retribution is not a Christian value,” Holdman told the IndyStar. “That’s what this was all about. I’m not bitter about it. It’s just a fact.”
Holdman also warned that the results would usher in a more aggressive style of campaigning in the Hoosier State.
“I did what my constituents asked me to do and it cost me my job. But that’s OK,” he told the Associated Press. “Welcome to D.C. politics in Indiana because this means that’s what’s coming.”
Tuesday’s primary races were seen as a major test for Trump and an indication of how much influence the 79-year-old president still has over the Republican Party.
The GOP is expected to suffer significant losses in November’s midterms, in part due to backlash against Trump as his approval ratings drop to levels last seen even after the Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.
Other Republican incumbents who opposed Trump’s push to redraw Indiana’s House maps also lost their races. While Republicans in the state’s lower chamber passed a proposed map that could have delivered a 9–0 GOP House advantage in November, the effort was blocked in the state Senate after 21 Republicans joined 10 Democrats to vote it down.
Elsewhere in Tuesday’s results, State Sen. James Buck lost to Tracey Powell in the 21st District, while Dan Dernulc was defeated by Trevor De Vries in District 1. In the 11th District, incumbent Linda Rogers was defeated by Brian Schmutzler, and State Rep. Greg Walker lost the District 41 GOP primary to Michelle Davis.
Similar redistricting efforts aimed at boosting GOP prospects in November’s races are also in place in red states such as Texas and Florida.
In a statement, Banks celebrated the sweeping victories by Trump-endorsed candidates.
“Everyone in Indiana politics should have learned an important lesson today: President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters,” Banks said. “Indiana is a conservative state, and we deserve conservatives in our State Senate who have a pulse on Republican voters.”
