Analysis by WorldTribune Staff, May 6, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
Steamrolled by MAGA. Do Republicans want to win at the national level or is losing more comfortable?
Several Republicans in the Indiana state Senate who voted to derail the redistricting effort backed by President Donald Trump went down in flames in Tuesday’s primaries.
Trump-endorsed candidates won … big.
The District 21 race was a perfect example of who wields the power in the GOP. James Buck’s 31-year career in the state legislature comes to an end despite the support of Indiana native and former Gov. Mike Pence.
The 80-year-old incumbent suffered a loss to Tracey Powell, a Tipton County commission member. Powell was endorsed by Trump.
Even lefty Politico admitted it was a MAGA “show of force.”
“President Donald Trump flexed his grip on the GOP base in Indiana on Tuesday, vanquishing a majority of the Republican state senators who had dared cross him on redistricting,” the outlet wrote. “It was a show of force in the year’s first major test of Trump’s power over the GOP.”
Trump issued endorsements for eight of the state Senate races.
“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. There are eight Great Patriots running against long seated RINOS — Let’s see how those RINOS do tonight!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Primary Election Day.
The redistricting effort would have created two more Republican-leaning districts and potentially strengthened the GOP’s control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The eight Republican state senators who voted against redistricting who were up for re-election on Tuesday were:
James Buck (District 21)
Spencer Deery (District 23)
Dan Dernulc (District 1)
Greg Goode (District 38)
Travis Holdman (District 19)
Rick Niemeyer (District 6)
Linda Rogers (District 11)
Greg Walker (District 41)
Trump-backed Blake Fiechter took an early lead over incumbent Holdman for District 19, prompting several outlets to call the race less than two hours after polls had closed.
Buck, from District 21, was unseated by Tracey Powell, another Trump-backed candidate.
Michelle Davis, who received the president’s support, defeated Walker in District 41.
Trump-backed Trevor De Vries beat incumbent Dernulc in District 1.
Dr. Brian Schmutzler, another Trump pick, scored a victory against Rogers in District 11.
In District 6, James Starkey defeated incumbent Niemeyer.
Also, Trump-backed Jeff Ellington won an open seat in District 39.
Trump’s pick for District 38, Brenda Wilson, was edged out by incumbent Goode. The race for District 23 between Deery and the Trump-backed challenger, Paula Copenhaver, was too close to call as of Wednesday morning.
Prior to Tuesday’s vote, former senior Trump White House official and Republican operative Alex Pfeiffer told National Review: “The president drew a line, and people crossed it. He’s going to enforce that line.”
Spending against anti-redistricting Republicans in this case is “money well spent,” Pfeiffer added. “If you vote against the president to help Democrats retain power, you should get punished.”
Indiana Republican U.S. Senator Jim Banks called it a “big night for MAGA in Indiana.”
Politico noted; “Trump’s loyal and energized supporters turned out to punish the incumbents, showing that his endorsement remains the gold-standard of GOP politics. That’s a bright flashing red warning to any Republicans who might be eyeing a break from Trump as he approaches the back half of his second term in office.”
Going forward, National Review noted: “Trump, for his part, has also vowed retribution in a number of other elections in the weeks to come, including the May 16 Republican primary in Louisiana, where Trump hopes to oust Senator Bill Cassidy, and the May 19 primary in Kentucky, where Trump is looking to defeat Representative Thomas Massie.”
Republican State Senator Travis Holdman — who lost by over 20 points — isn’t taking it very well.
“Revenge & retribution is not a Christian value.”
All you had to do was listen to your constituents. pic.twitter.com/CW41WrS7Fo
— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) May 6, 2026
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MAGA or no MAGA: Trump wins Indiana state senate showdown on redistricting added by Editor Two on
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