Sen. Chris Garten (R-Charlestown) announced Thursday he will step down from his role as Senate Majority Floor Leader.
Garten said he no longer felt aligned with leadership, suggesting a break with Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville).
“It has become clear to me that serving as Floor Leader requires a seamless alignment with the current strategic direction of leadership - an alignment I no longer maintain,” Garten wrote in his resignation.
Garten was one of the Senate Republicans who proudly supported both President Donald Trump and redistricting when lawmakers gathered to consider redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps last year.
That put him in opposition with Sen. Bray, one of the Republicans who ultimately voted against that effort.
In a statement to WFYI Bray said he appreciated Garten’s leadership in the Senate and said they would continue to work together with the rest of the caucus.
“As always, our goal is to advance legislation that improves the lives of Hoosiers, and that's where Senate Republicans will continue to place our time and energy," he said.
In his statement, Garten said he was proud of what had been accomplished in his tenure and that his “commitment to our caucus and our shared conservative values remains unwavering.”
Several Republicans who opposed redistricting lost their primaries against Trump-backed challengers earlier this year, potentially opening the door for the removal of Sen. Bray.
In the lead-up to the primary, Trump tweeted that Bray’s opposition amounted to a betrayal of the Republican party, adding, “we’re after you, Bray.”
Gov. Mike Braun has called for President Bray’s replacement in Senate leadership, calling him a “wet blanket.”
Garten’s name has been floated as a replacement for Bray.
In his statement, Garten did not indicate whether he might run for that spot; however, he wrote only that his role in the Senate would change and he looked forward to “further advance the conservative principles that separate Indiana from the rest.”
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
