Trump-Backed Challenger Flips Indiana Senate Primary in High-Stakes Recount
- Rex Ballard
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
INDIANAPOLIS — A razor-thin Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 23 was overturned Monday when the Indiana Recount Commission rejected 10 ballots on technical grounds, handing victory to Trump-endorsed challenger Paula Copenhaver over incumbent Sen. Spencer Deery.
The commission certified Copenhaver the winner by three votes. Final totals: Copenhaver 6,332 – Deery 6,329. In the May 5 primary, Deery had prevailed by the same three-vote margin (6,337–6,334).
The three-member Recount Commission, chaired by Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales, threw out eight ballots previously counted for Deery and two for Copenhaver. Most were absentee or provisional ballots missing the county clerk’s signature or seal, or the required initials from both Republican and Democratic election judges — requirements under Indiana election law.
Deery’s attorney, Samantha DeWester, called the outcome “unprecedented,” arguing that valid votes should not be discarded over clerical errors by election officials. “Ballots don’t get tossed for a signature missing from a clerk,” she said. Deery plans to appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals and is seeking an expedited ruling before the November general election.
Copenhaver, a former Fountain County Circuit Court clerk and current Fountain County Republican Party chair, said she is ready for the general election. “My reaction is: I’m ready for the general,” she told reporters after the hearing.
Background: Redistricting Fight
The race was one of several primary challenges fueled by President Donald Trump’s effort to hold accountable Indiana Republican senators who blocked his mid-decade congressional redistricting plan in December 2025. That proposal would have redrawn the state’s map to eliminate its two Democratic U.S. House seats and create a 9–0 Republican delegation. The state Senate rejected the map 31–19, with 21 Republicans joining all 10 Democrats in opposition.
Trump endorsed challengers against multiple senators who voted no. Most of those targeted incumbents lost in May. With Monday’s recount, Trump-backed candidates have now defeated six of the targeted senators who sought reelection: Linda Rogers, Jim Buck, Dan Dernulc, Travis Holdman, Greg Walker, and Spencer Deery. Only Sen. Greg Goode survived among those challenged.
District 23 covers west-central Indiana, including portions of Tippecanoe County (West Lafayette), Montgomery, Parke, Warren, Fountain, and Vermillion counties. Copenhaver will face Democrat David Sanders, a West Lafayette City Councilman, and an independent in November.
Deery, first elected in 2022, previously served as deputy chief of staff to former Purdue University President Mitch Daniels. Copenhaver has emphasized rural conservative priorities, tax relief, and election integrity in her campaign.
The recount process spanned months and involved ballot reviews across six counties. An earlier attempt by Copenhaver to subpoena voters based on social media posts suggesting some Democrats had crossed over to vote in the Republican primary was rejected by the commission.
Broader Implications
The decision underscores ongoing national debates over election procedures, ballot validity standards, and the power of primary challenges when elected officials break with their party’s base on high-profile issues. Indiana’s experience with mid-cycle redistricting pressure and the subsequent primary wave offers a case study in voter accountability that resonates far beyond the Hoosier State — including in California, where election integrity and redistricting remain flashpoints.
Deery maintains that the courts will restore the original result and “reaffirm me as the choice voters made.” The appeal will determine whether the commission’s interpretation of Indiana’s ballot requirements stands.
Shasta Unfiltered will continue monitoring the court challenge and the general election in District 23.
