Indiana state Sen. Greg Goode soundly defeated Brenda Wilson, the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, in Tuesday’s Republican primary for Senate District 38.
With nearly all votes counted by evening on May 5, 2026, Goode captured about 54 percent of the vote to Wilson’s 36 percent. A third candidate, Alexandra Wilson, received roughly 10 percent.
Goode is set to advance as the Republican nominee for the district that includes Vigo, Clay, and parts of Sullivan counties.
Goode votes against Trump
The contest gained national notice after Goode voted against a Trump-backed plan last year to redraw Indiana’s congressional districts in the middle of the decade.
Trump responded by endorsing challengers against several senators who broke ranks, including Wilson, a Vigo County Council member who works in the state attorney general’s office.
Trump described her as a “Successful Family Farmer, and Highly Respected Vigo County Commissioner, who will be a strong and effective Voice for our amazing Farmers and Indiana Agriculture.”
Goode, a Terre Haute Republican first elected in 2022, stood by his vote and said that the redistricting plan would have pulled Clay County and other rural areas from his district and paired them with communities near Indianapolis that have little in common with the Wabash Valley.
“That is the difference between a Hoosier public servant like D.C. political insiders and me,” Goode said earlier this year when describing the outside pressure on the race.
Outside groups poured heavy spending into the contest, with television and digital ads backing Wilson by featuring Trump’s endorsement and painting Goode as disloyal to the president. Still, voters in the district backed the incumbent.
The third candidate, Alexandra Wilson, a network engineer with no family ties to Brenda Wilson, complicated the race.
Also Read: RINO Revenge: Trump Targets Indiana Republicans Who Defied His Redistricting Plan
Trump allies and White House officials had urged her to withdraw from the ballot, fearing that her name would split the vote against Goode. She refused and stayed in the contest after legal fights and a judge’s ruling.
Goode focused his campaign on local issues such as taxes, roads, schools, and representing the specific needs of western Indiana communities. He avoided turning the race into a national loyalty test.
Brenda Wilson ran on conservative priorities and stressed her support for Trump. In one campaign message, she stressed that she understood “the importance of what it means to be America First, not my friends first.”
By late Tuesday, Wilson had not issued a detailed concession statement, but the results showed a clear loss. Goode’s margin held firm even with two challengers in the race.
The outcome delivers one of the strongest victories for incumbents targeted by Trump in Indiana’s primaries.
Other senators who opposed redistricting also faced endorsed challengers, with results so far showing mixed success for the president’s push.
Also Read: Trump Hit With Fact Check After Bragging About 100% GOP Approval Rating
Goode now heads into the November general election against Democrat Kacey Blundell, who faced no primary opponent. Republicans hold a strong advantage in District 38, so the primary winner is heavily favored in the fall.
The race was a test of how much muscle a Trump endorsement has in down-ballot contests miles away from Washington.
In this corner of Indiana, local relationships and district-specific issues outpaced national backing.
Turnout figures are still being finalized, but the results pointed to solid support for Goode among Republican voters who know him from years of service in the area.
The full impact of President Trump’s involvement in Indiana’s legislative primaries will become clearer as more results are certified. For District 38, voters chose to keep the incumbent.
