President Donald Trump demonstrated his sway over the Republican party base in a deep red state after he supported a group of challengers to Indiana’s state senators who had defied the President by refusing his push for redistricting.

At least six of the eight state senators who had opposed Mr Trump’s redistricting plans were projected to lose their reelection bids, according to DDHQ projections. One incumbent held off a pair of challengers, while another race in the state was too close to call. 

Mr Trump and Indiana’s Governor Mike Braun endorsed the same challenger in seven of the contests in a campaign that exposed a significant rift within the GOP. By reshaping the Republican caucus, Mr Trump showed the potential repercussions for crossing him on a high-profile vote and increased the odds of the state reviving redistricting of congressional seats. 

The effort had been a priority for Mr Trump to seek to maintain hold of the house ahead of the midterms, with Texas leading the charge to redraw boundaries in favor of Republicans. But after Democrats pushed for changes in California and Virginia the attempt may have been largely offset, frustrating the White House.

Voters in Ohio handily also backed former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s bid to be the Republican nominee for governor, while Democrat Sherrod Brown will get another shot at returning to the Senate after being defeated in 2024. 

With the war in Iran dragging on and fuel prices soaring, Mr Ramaswamy and Mr Brown will test whether voters in the one-time bellwether state stick with the largely Republican leadership they have backed in recent elections or drift back toward Democrats in frustration over Mr Trump’s economic stewardship. 

Mr Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who was initially part of the government-efficiency effort led by billionaire Elon Musk, was projected to easily win the GOP primary on May 5, according to NBC News and Decision Desk HQ. 

In the November race to replace term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine, Mr Ramaswamy will face Democrat Amy Acton, a doctor ...