Indiana real estate agent Blake Fietcher was running for state Senate against Holdman.
Then he wasn’t, even after Trump endorsed him in January and met with a group of potential GOP challengers to senators who voted against redistricting.
Fietcher reconsidered and remained in the race, and since has had groups supporting him spend $1.2 million on advertising attacking Holdman, an 18-year incumbent who holds a leadership spot in the GOP caucus. The two groups are backed by Indiana GOP power players, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Gov. Mike Braun.
Holdman voted against redistricting, but not out of defiance to Trump. The issue was unpopular with 90% of the constituents who contacted his district, he told The Associated Press after the December vote.
Still, Holdman said that Trump’s characterization of Indiana Senate Republican Leader Rodrick Bray as “a bad guy, or very stupid one,” a week before the vote wasn’t the right incentive to support the measure.
“That kind of language doesn’t help,” Holdman said at the time.
