INDIANA — President Trump called for primary challenges against seven Indiana Republican state senators who voted against his mid-decade redistricting push, writing on Truth Social that they should be ashamed of themselves. A Trump-aligned dark money group has funneled $1.5 million to an organization running television ads against the incumbents ahead of the state senate primaries.

Approximately $7 million has been spent on television ads in Indiana state senate races this year, with the bulk aimed at defeating Republicans who opposed the redrawn congressional maps, according to a tally from AdImpact. The Club for Growth, led by former Indiana congressman David McIntosh, is spending roughly $2 million in the state, mostly on mailers.

Outside groups aligned with the president worked with his political team to recruit challengers against the incumbents and organized a political operation in Indiana. Paula Copenhaver, a state senate candidate, said she received a call from one of Trump's political advisors in January. Copenhaver and other challengers visited the Oval Office in early March and posed for photos with the president.

"It was truly an honor to meet with President Trump and to shake his hand. He's fighting for the American people, and I'm proud to have his Complete and Total endorsement. I'll always fight to put Hoosiers first — and I won't let you down," Copenhaver said.

She also addressed the policy dispute at the center of the primary fights. "By not redistricting, voting to redistrict for the state of Indiana, when we have an opportunity to do good and we don't, then that is a grave concern for me," she said.

Among the targeted incumbents is Jim Buck, who has served in the Indiana state senate for 18 years. "We've never had Washington meddle into our elections like they have this time," Buck said. He described being warned by members of the state's congressional delegation about what was coming.

"Jim, they're going to come at you with everything possible, they're going to try to destroy your name, destroy your reputation and they're going to bring money you wouldn't imagine," Buck said the delegation told him. "Well, they were right," he said.

Buck said he had supported the president in past elections. "I like a lot of the things he's doing. I don't like how he's meddling in the state's business on redistricting," he said.