The drive for political retribution against Republican state senators who didn’t support Indiana congressional redistricting has taken a blow with a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump ending his campaign.
Trump last month backed Bluffton City Councilman Blake Fiechter’s challenge to high-ranking state Sen. Travis Holdman — even before Fiechter got in the race.
But he cited trouble organizing a campaign ahead of the May 5 primary for the District 19 seat in northeastern Indiana covering all of Adams, Blackford, Jay and Wells counties and part of Allen County.
“If it had just been a Wells County district, it would have felt much easier,” Fiechter told WANE 15 of Fort Wayne on Friday. “But with it being spread out and not having anyone day-to-day helping me, fending all these calls and making connections. It came down to a lot of those little details just creeping up.”
Fiechter did not return a message Monday from the Capital Chronicle seeking comment. He filed his candidacy last month nearly a week after Trump’s social media endorsement was posted, with the president calling Holdman a “RINO” — for Republican in name only — and “an America Last politician” for opposing the redistricting bill.
Trump’s social media posts have used similar wording in endorsing primary challengers to four other Republican senators who voted against his demand for redistricting aimed at helping the GOP win all nine of Indiana’s U.S. House seats.
Holdman, who has been a senator since 2008, is the Senate’s third-ranking member as majority caucus chair and his chair of the influential Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.
Marty Obst, an Indiana Republican operative and former Trump campaign staffer who leads the pro-redistricting group Fair Maps Indiana, has said his organization and others would “spend seven figures” in support of the primary.
Obst did not immediately reply Monday to a message seeking comment about Fiechter’s decision.
Fiechter’s name will still be listed on the primary ballot because the deadline for withdrawing has passed.
WANE reported that Fiechter said he received advice from some Republican leaders, but not enough help with campaign workers and money.
“I felt like I was on a raft alone trying to navigate,” he said.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
