That dynamic could shape several looming Republican contests, including a closely watched Kentucky primary later this month in which Trump is backing a challenger against Representative Thomas Massie, one of the few House Republicans willing to openly oppose him.
Ohio races now get started in earnest
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Ohio state voters finalised several key November matchups that could help determine control of Congress.
Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown and Republican incumbent Jon Husted won their party’s nominations in the primary elections. They are now set for what is expected to be a high-profile and expensive Senate race in November’s midterm elections.
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate backed by Trump, easily won the Republican nomination for governor.
Analysts say Tuesday’s contests underscored the broader battle taking shape ahead of November, with Republicans tightly aligned behind Trump and Democrats hoping broader voter dissatisfaction can produce a midterm backlash.
David Axelrod, who was Democratic former president Barack Obama’s chief strategist, said the results in Indiana demonstrated why so many elected Republicans stick with Trump, even if it means opposing their long-held principles.
“Trump is epically unpopular with two-thirds of the country… But he maintains the unwavering allegiance of his base and the threat to use it as cudgels against any apostates in primary elections,” Axelrod posted on X.
“That’s why following through on his retribution threat against Indiana state senators for having the temerity (and courage) to oppose the extraordinary, mid-decade re-districting he demanded was so essential.”
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Democrat wins Michigan special election
Meanwhile in Michigan, a Democrat comfortably won a state Senate race in a bellwether district, the latest in a string of special election victories.
Special elections have swung almost universally toward Democrats since Trump returned to the White House, and the trend continued on Tuesday in central Michigan.
Democrat Chedrick Greene won a state Senate seat in a closely matched district where Kamala Harris bested Trump by less than 1 point in 2024.
It’s just one special election months out from the midterms, but in a preeminent battleground like Michigan, all political tea leaves are carefully analysed. The state has one of the top US Senate contests this November and is crucial in deciding presidential elections.
The race carries outsized importance for another reason, too. Greene’s victory gives Democrats a firm majority in the state Senate, while a Republican win would have deadlocked the chamber in a 19-19 tie.
