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Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray announced Friday that he will not seek reelection to his leadership position in November.
Bray, a Republican from Martinsville, has served in the Indiana Senate since 2012 and as leader since 2018. He served as city attorney for Martinsville from 2003 to 2007.
In December, Bray was among 21 state Republican senators who joined 10 Democrats in voting down a mid-decade redistricting bill pushed by President Donald Trump.
The effort would have created new voting maps, giving Republicans a likely advantage in all nine Indiana congressional districts for the 2026 election. Indiana voting maps have historically been redrawn after a new census every decade. Republicans currently hold seven Indiana congressional seats, while Democrats hold two.
More than $13 million was spent in ads during the 2026 primary elections to oust the Republican state senators who voted against redistricting and were up for reelection.
A press release from Bray’s office noted the “promises to recruit and fund” challengers to senators who vote to keep him as the leader were a factor 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 press release said.
Bray said he will continue to lead the Senate until a successor is chosen and he will remain in the Senate. His current term in District 37, which covers Morgan County and parts of Johnson, Owen and Putnam counties, runs through 2028.
Bray touted his broader legislative achievements in the press release.
“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 in a statement. “Our caucus has led the way in numerous policy areas, passing laws that resulted in more than 20 tax cuts, initiatives to lower the cost of health care, laws that resulted in a sharp increase in literacy rates in our schools, and measures that ushered in record capital investment through 2024. That’s a track record I will always stand behind, and I’m incredibly proud to have accomplished this work as the Pro Tem alongside my distinguished colleagues.”
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