Five months ago, a group of Indiana state senators defied Trump and voted against redistricting. In the Indiana primary elections today, almost all of them were usurped by loyalists that had been carefully endorsed and funded by the Trump administration. Trump-aligned super PACs spent $13,000,000 on voting out incumbent state senators who defied his redistricting efforts, purging disloyal members of the party.
Incumbent state senator Linda Rogers lost by nearly 20% to Trump-endorsed Brian Schmultzer, showing that loyalty to Trump remains the key litmus test in the Republican party. Rogers was just one example in a string of many, and almost all Republicans who defied Trump on redistricting were primaried.
These losses were not just isolated to incumbents who opposed Trump. It appears as if MAGA-aligned voters decided they wanted to primary any incumbent they could. US Representative Victoria Spartz lost by less than one percent to a candidate who failed to file a campaign finance report, or set up a legitimate campaign.
These recent elections show that loyalty to Trump remains the most important part of being a Republican. His grip on the party is far from over, and GOP candidates should remain cautious when opposing him, considering his massive influence both in his ability to sway voters and his massive war chest, ready to be spent on opposition to candidates that defy him.
These elections could also spell danger for high-profile Republicans who push back against Trump, such as Thomas Massie. Massie has made no attempts to cozy up to the administration, and with his primary coming in less than two weeks, his seat may come into contention.
These races may encourage other red states to bring about redistricting efforts. Following Virginia’s successful redistricting, a handful of red states have followed suit. This may encourage Republican politicians to support redistricting, as opposing it is now clearly a career-ending move.