Veteran Indiana House member leaving Trump’s Republican Party

Indiana state Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, speaks during a committee meeting on Jan. 23, 2024. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Republican Rep. Ed Clere has decided to leave the Indiana General Assembly after 18 years, saying political changes brought about by President Donald Trump have alienated him from the party.

Clere cited disagreement over the failed congressional redistricting Trump called for among the reasons he does not seek re-election to his House seat this year. He also plans to run for mayor of New Albany as an independent in 2027.

Trump has endorsed five rivals in recent weeks after vowing political revenge against incumbent Republican senators. challenged him on redistricting bill.

One of those opponents, Bluffton City Councilman Blake Fiechter said he was surprised by this situation Trump’s approval but last week he quietly ran for office in the Republican primary against Senator Travis. As majority caucus chairman, Holdman is the third-ranking member of the chamber.

Clere’s difficult road with the Republicans

Clere, who first won his New Albany-based seat in 2008, announced his decision not to run for a 10th term representing Floyd County. News and Tribune on Friday.

He focused much of his legislative time on the state’s social safety net efforts. Last month, Braun criticized his administration’s cuts to Medicaid, child care and food assistance programs. “We are very concerned about the ideological focus.” from many state actions

He was an early and outspoken opponent of Congress’s redistricting initiative, and Confirmed in the House of Representatives in December, 12 GOP Republicans also voted “no” along with Democrats. The bill was rejected a week later in the Republican-dominated Senate.

Clere told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that the redistricting push is “a very clear and extreme example” of “how the toxic and divisive policies of Washington are reaching Indiana.”

“A lot of Indiana Republicans wanted nothing to do with it and saw how dangerous and destructive it was, but still felt they had to go along with it,” he said in an interview Sunday. “… I know a lot of people who don’t accept it, but most of them keep their heads down and hope this whole thing ends.”

Clere has split from Republicans on many important issues in recent years; He voted against the 2022 abortion ban bill, the 2023 bill to ban transgender medical care for minors, and the 2025 bill to allow partisan school board elections. All of these received legislative approval and became state law.

Clere lamented the party’s shift toward embracing divisive social issues and away from the policies of former Gov. Mitch Daniels, who held the office when Clere was first elected to the Legislature.

“There is still good legislation, but it is not like when I arrived,” Clere said. “It’s a very different focus and a very different atmosphere.”

Republican House Speaker Todd Huston’s office did not immediately comment on Clere’s announcement.

Clere said he told Huston about his decision last week and they had a “very cordial” conversation.

Clere said he plans to remain part of the House Republican caucus and serve out the remainder of the legislative session that ends in November.

Floyd County Republican Party leaders issued a statement thanking Clere for her service, saying she had “moved away from Republican values ​​by supporting legislation that is not consistent with the Republican platform.”

Clere gained attention in 2015 by advocating for legislation that allowed counties to institute syringe exchange programs for intravenous drug users. Major HIV outbreak in southern Indiana’s Scott County.

lost it Served as Chairman of the Public Health Committee After that session, however, Clere considers the syringe program her greatest achievement.

“This law has saved countless lives, prevented countless cases of infections, including HIV and hepatitis C, and led to countless people entering recovery programs,” he said.

Running for mayor of New Albany in the 2027 city election will be Clere’s second attempt at the office. Democratic Mayor Jeff Gahan won his fourth term in 2023 with 52% of the vote from Clere.

Despite losing the mayoralty, Clere easily retained his House district, which covers most of Floyd County, with 57% of the vote in 2024 and 60% in 2022.

Clere said his frustrations at the Statehouse led him to another mayoral run.

“It’s not just about where I am in the Republican Party, it’s also about where I believe I can be most effective,” he said.

Trump-backed rival makes run official

Fiechter, a Bluffton council member, filed state papers Wednesday to run for state Senate against Holdman in the May primary.

This action comes nearly a week after Trump’s social media endorsement was posted, with the president calling Holdman ” A “RINO” to Republicans in name only and “America’s Last Politician” for opposing the redistricting bill.

Fiechter did not respond to phone and email messages from the Capital Chronicle.

A post on Fiechter’s Facebook page about the candidacy said:“We need a strong conservative and America First Senator representing us in Indianapolis, and I promise to continue to be one.”

He’s a real estate broker in his first term as an at-large member of the Bluffton city council after winning the 2023 election.

The day after Trump’s endorsement post, he told The Indianapolis Star that he was surprised by it and had not made a decision about his Senate campaign.

Fiechter described himself as follows: Trump supporter who generally supports congressional redistricting drive.

Holdman, who has served in the Senate since 2008, is chairman of the influential Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.

When asked by Capital Chronicle last week As Fiechter’s primary problem, Holdman said: ““It’s part of the process.”

“I’ve known him for years, I helped him get elected to the Bluffton City Council,” Holdman said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

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