In what can only be described as an electoral bloodbath Tuesday night, Republican state senators in Indiana who blocked Trump-backed redistricting efforts were absolutely steamrolled by Trump-endorsed primary challengers.
Subscribe to view the full article, including all images, videos, and social media embeds.
One after another, incumbents who helped kill the congressional remap effort started dropping. Even Senate Majority Leader Travis Holdman got taken out.
Subscribe to view the full article, including all images, videos, and social media embeds.
That's not a normal primary night. That's a message.
The fight centered around a Trump-backed effort to redraw Indiana's congressional maps during the midterms in a way that would have strengthened Republican representation in Washington. But despite the fact that Republicans overwhelmingly control Indiana politics - they hold supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature, and Trump carried the state by roughly 20 points - the new map passed the state house but died in the senate.
Seven of the Republican state senators who helped stop it were on the ballot last night. Six of the seven were defeated by Trump-endorsed challengers.
Subscribe to view the full article, including all images, videos, and social media embeds.
Even a guy named Schmutzler defeated an incumbent named Rogers rather easily!
Subscribe to view the full article, including all images, videos, and social media embeds.
What's most telling about the night was that Republican voters understood exactly what these races represented. And that was enough to keep them standing in lines at the polls despite a miserable cold rain that blanketed the state almost all day. To the base, this was clearly a chance to remind Republican lawmakers they are to actually use political power once voters give it to them.
The general election still awaits in November, but given the nature of Indiana politics, it's highly likely the next legislature will revisit the Trump-backed redistricting effort in short order.
More importantly, the message coming out of Indiana is likely to resonate far beyond the state itself:
If Republicans campaign on urgency, win majorities, gain power … and then refuse to use it, what exactly are voters keeping them there for?
Indiana voters want their representatives to, well, represent them, as State Senator Chris Garten said in December when he blasted his colleagues for refusing to do their jobs.
Subscribe to view the full article, including all images, videos, and social media embeds.
Tuesday night, Indiana Republicans gave their answer. And a lot of establishment careers ended because of it.
Enjoying this article? Subscribe for full access.
Subscribers see every embed, image, and video inline — plus comments and our fully-featured social platform.
