Indiana primaries have become an expensive battleground, with nearly $12 million in ad spending after Trump-backed challengers targeted seven incumbent state senators who opposed his preferred redistricting plan. Outside groups aligned with GOP leaders have poured millions into attack ads that sometimes mischaracterize lawmakers’ votes. Separately, the progressive movement that backed Bernie Sanders is debating a successor for 2028, with figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna among those discussed.
Trump-Backed Challenges Turn Indiana Primaries Into Nearly $12M Ad Battleground
President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican primary challengers to seven Indiana state senators over a redistricting vote. (Will Oliver / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)(Will Oliver)
Indiana’s state Senate primaries have been transformed from low-key local contests into an expensive, acrimonious battlefield, with nearly $12 million flooding the airwaves ahead of tomorrow’s vote, according to AdImpact.
The spending surge follows former President Donald Trump’s endorsements of Republican primary challengers to seven incumbent state senators who opposed a congressional redistricting plan Trump had publicly advocated. By comparison, advertisers spent under $500,000 on Indiana state Senate ads across the entire 2024 cycle.
One race alone has drawn roughly four times that prior total: state Sen. Spencer Deery is facing a high-dollar effort to unseat him from challenger Paula Copenhaver, an aide to Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith.
Attack Ads and Messaging
The ads have been notably hostile. One advertisement from Hoosier Leadership for America, a group aligned with U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), labels long-serving state Sen. Jim Buck as “old, pathetic, liberal.” Buck, 80, who first won a state Senate seat in 2008, is facing Tipton County Commissioner Tracey Powell in his first primary challenge since joining the Senate.
Many attack ads do not foreground the senators’ vote against the redrawn congressional map that precipitated the challenges. Instead, outside groups have seized on other issues. For example, some ads criticize votes related to foreign ownership of farmland — at times mischaracterizing the record. One spot shows a roll of toilet paper superimposed with state Sen. Greg Walker’s face and says, “Soft on China,” despite the fact that Walker and other senators supported legislation to ban certain "foreign adversaries," including China, from buying farmland. The ads imply the ban did not go far enough.
Money Behind the Push
The bulk of the new spending comes from outside groups backing Trump-endorsed candidates. Hoosier Leadership for America has spent nearly $5 million on the primaries, while American Leadership PAC — another group tied to Sen. Jim Banks — has invested more than $3 million. Both organizations are overseen by Andrew Surabian, a top adviser to Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. J.D. Vance.
By contrast, the seven incumbent senators facing Trump-backed challengers have collectively spent more than $2.6 million defending their seats, which are technically part-time positions with a base salary of just over $33,000 a year.
Reporters Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman contributed to this coverage.
Progressive Movement Seeks a New Standard-Bearer
Separately, the progressive grassroots infrastructure that rallied around Bernie Sanders’ presidential bids is debating who might inherit that mantle ahead of the 2028 Democratic primary. Activists, operatives and organizations that powered Sanders’ insurgencies are already jockeying for influence, organizers and donors.
Interviews with more than a dozen liberal groups and progressive figures indicate there is no clear consensus. Some see Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a natural successor because of her fundraising strength, crowd-drawing ability and high name recognition. Others point to Rep. Ro Khanna of California or other emerging figures as credible alternatives. Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, said the group’s roughly 8 million members are keeping an “open mind” on potential 2028 contenders.
“I don’t think the field is written. There’s always somebody who’s surprising. They can step in and really scramble the field,” Geevarghese said. “AOC, Ro Khanna, potentially others would have an advantage given they’ve been leading on issues that are important to the base.”
Ocasio-Cortez has not decided whether she might run for Senate or pursue a presidential bid and has not ruled out either option, according to a person familiar with her thinking.
Quick Hits
- Iran tensions: U.S. Central Command reports Iran has fired cruise missiles, launched drones and deployed small boats at U.S.-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz; no vessels were struck and no injuries were reported.
- SCOTUS update: The Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that would have restricted nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
- California governor’s race: Some progressives say they back Tom Steyer for his policy platform despite reservations about billionaire candidates.
- Maine politics: Delegates reacted to Gov. Janet Mills stepping aside, clearing the way for Graham Platner to run against Sen. Susan Collins.
- Kentucky Senate race: Trump endorsed Rep. Andy Barr, prompting businessman Nate Morris to exit the GOP primary for the seat being vacated by Sen. Mitch McConnell.
This reporting was compiled for the Politics Desk. For feedback, email [email protected].
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