Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray announced Friday that he will not seek another term as the chamber's leader.
Bray, who has represented Martinsville in the Indiana Senate since 2012 and served as Senate leader since 2018, said he will step aside when Republicans elect a new leader in November. He will remain in the Senate through the end of his current term in 2028.
The decision comes months after Bray joined 20 other Republican senators and 10 Democrats in voting down a Trump-backed mid-decade congressional redistricting proposal. The plan would have redrawn Indiana's congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections and was expected to give Republicans an advantage in all nine congressional districts.
The vote sparked a fierce backlash from conservatives and President Trump. More than $13 million was spent during the 2026 Republican primaries backing challengers to senators who voted against the redistricting proposal.
Bray said the prospect of additional primary challenges against senators who supported his continued leadership played a major role in his decision. "He has determined he will not put members in jeopardy from their own party simply because he is asking members to support his reelection as Pro Tem," the statement read.
Bray said he would continue serving as Senate leader until a successor is chosen and will remain a member of the chamber. In his statement, he pointed to his accomplishments during eight years as a leader.
"Serving as the President Pro Tem of the Senate for eight years has been among the most significant honors of my life, but it's time for the Senate to choose another leader," Bray said. He cited more than 20 tax cuts, initiatives to lower health care costs, laws that increased literacy rates in schools, and measures that brought record capital investment through 2024.
Trump criticized Bray's tenure in a statement, saying Bray had foolishly led the Indiana State Senate and cost the Republican Party two U.S. House seats. Trump expressed no regret over Bray's departure and suggested his colleagues should have faced consequences for their support.
