Indiana Senate Republicans who opposed congressional redistricting were largely defeated during Tuesday's primary election, with only one race so far called for an incumbent after President Donald Trump's call to oust them.
The results come after months of political threats, and an estimated $9 million in spending to back primary challengers against the incumbents. The incumbents' losses show Trump's continued strength in the state.
In a statement, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind) said the wins should send a message.
"Everyone in Indiana politics should have learned an important lesson today: President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters," Banks said in a statement. "Indiana is a conservative state, and we deserve conservatives in our State Senate who have a pulse on Republican voters."
Trump's push to redistrict was part of a nationwide effort to win more seats in Congress by redrawing state maps across the country, part of an effort to keep Republican control of the U.S. House. In Indiana, Republicans currently hold seven of the nine U.S. House seats. The proposed redistricted map targeted the two remaining Democratic strongholds to be more favorable to the GOP.
In November, Trump vowed that any Republican who voted against redrawing the state's congressional boundaries, "potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED."
In spite of Trump's threats, Indiana Senate Republicans rebuffed him, siding with Senate Democrats to kill the redistricting bill 31-19.
The reverberation of that Indiana vote was felt for months and played out on primary election day in Indiana.
It kicked off a flurry of campaign donations, national endorsements, and door-knocking led by various political groups aligned with the President — attracting national attention and boosting money spent on Indiana races.
Trump posted his support on social media for primary candidates opposing incumbent Republicans on Election Day, saying "There are eight Great Patriots running against long seated RINOS - Let's see how those RINOS do tonight!"
As results came in Tuesday night, it became clear that Trump's push was largely successful.
