Trump-Backed Indiana Senate Challenger Takes Lead After Recount

President Donald Trump’s influence over Republican primaries remains formidable, with another Trump-endorsed candidate now poised to unseat an incumbent who opposed the president’s redistricting priorities.

Paula Copenhaver moved ahead of Indiana state Sen. Spencer Deery by three votes following a recount in the Republican primary for the state’s 23rd Senate District.

Deery was among seven Republican state senators targeted by primary challengers after voting against a revised congressional map supported by Trump last year. Five of those incumbents lost on primary night, while Deery appeared to survive with an extraordinarily narrow three-vote advantage.

Copenhaver subsequently requested a recount—and the result flipped the race.

The Indiana Recount Commission invalidated 10 ballots during Monday’s proceedings, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Eight had previously been counted for Deery, while two had been credited to Copenhaver.

Removing those ballots placed Copenhaver three votes ahead of the incumbent.

Deery quickly announced plans to challenge the commission’s determination. In a post on X, he characterized the decision as an “attempt to undermine the will of voters by treating ballots differently based on whether they furthered the president’s political goals.”

There has been no evidence presented demonstrating that the commission’s rulings were politically motivated.

In a statement provided to NBC News, Deery argued that the process established a troubling precedent for future Indiana elections.

“What was most remarkable about today’s hearing was that voter intent was never in question,” Deery said.

“None of the ballots challenged were discarded because there was uncertainty about whom the voter intended to support,” he added.

“The disputes instead centered on technicalities resulting from errors by government officials,” he said.

“We are confident Indiana’s appellate courts will restore the vote totals that have been counted and recounted and reaffirm the choice voters made in Senate District 23,” he said.

“This was not a meeting intended to find fairness; it was designed to find votes,” he added.

Deery’s attorney, Samantha DeWester, confirmed that preparations for an appeal were already underway.

“This is unprecedented. Ballots don’t get tossed for a signature missing from a clerk,” DeWester said.

“It’s now going to set the tone going forward for people that are losers of elections that want to overturn them on technicality stuff,” she added.

The recount proceedings began with Indiana Recount Commission Director Evan Norris examining disputed ballots from the counties comprising the 23rd State Senate District, according to WFYI. Attorneys representing both campaigns challenged several ballots during the review.

Copenhaver’s attorney, William Bock, maintained that multiple absentee ballots failed to comply with Indiana law because they did not contain the required signatures or the proper circuit court seal.

Bock also argued that absentee ballots require heightened scrutiny because the voting method carries a greater risk of fraud. With only a handful of votes separating the candidates in one of the closest races in Indiana history, he said the commission was obligated to enforce the state’s election statutes strictly.

If the revised result survives Deery’s anticipated appeal, Copenhaver will become the Republican nominee in a district that strongly favors the GOP.

“My reaction is: I’m ready for the general,” Copenhaver told reporters after the meeting, per WFYI.

Copenhaver is expected to compete against West Lafayette City Council member David Sanders, the Democratic nominee, and independent candidate Joshua Brant.

The primary battle could carry consequences beyond a single legislative seat. Its outcome may shape Indiana’s approach to congressional redistricting before the 2028 election cycle, particularly as Republicans consider the political fallout faced by lawmakers who resisted Trump’s preferred map.

Indiana Senate President Rod Bray, another Republican who opposed the Trump-backed proposal, announced last month that he would not seek another term as the chamber’s GOP leader.

Trump celebrated Copenhaver’s new lead in a Truth Social post and thanked Indiana voters for supporting his agenda.

“I want to thank the Great State of Indiana for your support, not only in my Presidential Election, which we won with the Highest Vote in the History of the State, but also for your support in getting rid of wayward Senators, led down the Path of Destruction by a FOOL named Rodric Bray,” he wrote.