Greg Walker's loss could change Indiana politics for years.
Indiana voters faced a key question in this month’s primary: Are local politics still local? For six Republican state senators, the answer was a resounding no. President Trump still dominates the Republican Party, and his endorsements in Indiana proved it. Trump’s show of power will have lasting consequences for our state.
First, Bartholomew County: what are we doing? Less than 20% turnout for an election that garnered national attention is embarrassing. Democracy only works when people show up. Three of Bartholomew County’s four Statehouse representatives will now have leaders that demonstrated they are willing to cave to outside pressure. We can do better.
The current makeup of Indiana’s Senate has acted as a brake on increasingly partisan (and often dumb) legislation. That may now change. I suspect the Senate’s first move will be to replace the President Pro Tem, making it easier to pass more partisan bills. Senator Rodric Bray was early to push back against mid-decade redistricting because he knew the Senate didn’t have the votes (and it was dumb). And when he called a vote because of mounting pressure… the Senate didn’t have the votes (again, dumb). In turn, the legislative calendar was shortened, leaving more important issues unaddressed.
Now, expect another push to redraw Indiana’s congressional maps ahead of 2028 in favor of Republicans. Never mind the Congress does literally nothing, regardless of which party is in power. They’ve given up all powers to the executive: student loans, tariffs, etc. Perhaps the most recent egregious abdication of power has been the war in Iran. The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais earlier this month has renewed calls for Indiana to act. I agree that race should not determine representation, but we also have rules and norms: maps are drawn once a decade, after the census. That was the whole reason most Indiana senators opposed redistricting. Ironically, forcing Democrats into Republican districts could backfire and flip those seats blue.
Next, expect efforts to close Indiana’s primaries. Right now, voters do not register by party to participate. There have already been calls to restrict primaries only to registered party members to prevent “meddling.” This argument would have more merit if taxpayers weren’t funding both elections. If parties want private elections, they should pay for them. Until then, let people vote. Plus, over 2,000 voters participated in the Democratic nomination for Indiana Senate District 41… which was unopposed. Partisanship begets partisanship, I guess.
Here’s the bottom line: Senator Greg Walker’s loss will be devastating for our community. If Michelle Davis is willing to break rules and norms for the sake of superfluous partisan power, what else will she cave on?
Our country continues on the path of decline, state by state. Classical liberalism and federalism are failing in favor of postliberalism and populism. Our Founders would be ashamed. The Republican Party, the party of Lincoln and Reagan, can do so much better. God is testing Indiana. Are you listening? This month’s election results tell me no.
For more, check out my Substack.