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Trump’s retribution? What to watch in Tuesday’s elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan

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Trump’s retribution? What to watch in Tuesday’s elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan


President Donald Trump’s campaign to politically punish Republicans who stand in his way moves through Indiana on Tuesday, when seven state senators face Trump-backed primary challengers.

In neighboring Ohio, primaries for U.S. Senate and governor will lock in the candidates for two major races with national implications.

And in Michigan, voters in a bellwether district will fill a vacancy in the state Senate, a race with implications for the balance of power in a battleground state.

Here’s what to watch for.

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How strong is Trump’s grip on the Republican Party?

Trump is taking aim at seven Republican state senators in Indiana who opposed his plan to redraw congressional district boundaries to help the party gain seats in the U.S. House.

Groups allied with the president have spent millions on advertising, an extraordinary flood of cash and attention into races that are typically low profile.

The races are a test of Trump’s enduring grip over his party as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the midterm elections in November.

The results will signal to Republicans everywhere about how big a price they’ll pay with their voters if they distance themselves from Trump even as his popularity fades. And it will show the president whether he can still credibly threaten consequences for Republicans who cross him.

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The Trump-targeted state senators all represent districts he carried in 2024, mostly by 20 percentage points or more.

The key races to watch are districts 1, 11, 19, 21, 23, 38 and 41.

Ohio races get started in earnest

The state’s primary is the wind up to the big show. Although Ohio has become increasingly conservative, Democrats believe their path back to a U.S. Senate majority runs through the state.

They’re putting their hopes behind former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost Ohio’s other Senate seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024.

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He’s expected to face off with Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president.

The race is a special election to fill the last two years of Vance’s term.

In the campaign for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with Trump into a record fundraising haul. He’s largely ignoring Republican rival Casey Putsch, focusing his rallies and television ads on the general election.

An engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy,” Putsch has attracted fans with provocative YouTube videos that troll Ramaswamy and criticize national Republicans over their handling of the Epstein files, positions on energy-guzzling data centers and support for Israel.

Amy Acton, Ohio’s former public health director, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She played a key role in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Will Democrats sweep another special election?

The special election for a state Senate seat in central Michigan carries outsized importance.

It’s another test of enthusiasm in a series of special elections that have swung almost universally toward Democrats since Trump returned to the White House. It also could affect the balance of power in the Michigan State Capitol. A Democratic victory would give the party a firm majority in the state Senate, while a Republican win would deadlock the chamber in a 19-19 tie.

The district is closely matched. Democrat Kamala Harris beat Trump there by less than 1 point in the 2024 presidential election.

The seat has been vacant for more than a year, since Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned to take a seat in Congress.

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Democrats are showing surprising strength in special elections and off-year contests across the country, winning races in unexpected places and significantly narrowing the gap, even when they fall short.

There’s no guarantee the trend will continue through the midterms, when turnout will be much higher, but it has nonetheless energized Democrats and spooked Republicans worried about keeping their congressional majorities.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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Missing White River kayaker found safe, police say

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Missing White River kayaker found safe, police say


Michigan State Police say a kayaker who went missing on White River northeast of Montague and Whitehall on Sunday, June 14, has been located safe, after a three-day search.

The man, Justin Wolfiss, 44, entered the river in a kayak at Sischo Bayou around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday with a friend, but did not arrive with his friend at the end point of their trip.

Wolfiss was located safe near Pines Point, officials announced on Tuesday, June 16.

He is currently being medically evaluated, officials say.

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Wolfiss and his friend were traveling downstream toward the Happy Mohawk Canoe Livery, near Diamond Point, when they were separated early in the 3- to 4-hour trip, police said.

The friend, police said, waited several hours for Wolfiss to arrive after reaching Diamond Point around 7 p.m.

“The Michigan State Police would like to thank Blue Lake Township Fire Department, Hesperia Fire Department, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, MSP Aviation, MSP K-9, partnering agencies, volunteers, and members of the public who assisted in the search effort and shared information.”



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Report: Michigan cancels volleyball game vs. Texas Tech, to discuss prohibiting other contests

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Report: Michigan cancels volleyball game vs. Texas Tech, to discuss prohibiting other contests


The fallout from the Brendan Sorsby saga continues. On Monday, Michigan canceled a scheduled volleyball game against Texas Tech, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

According to Dellenger, Michigan “plans to hold further discussions with its athletic staff on prohibiting contests against the Red Raiders.” The program becomes the latest to expressly state intent not to schedule Texas Tech amid the ongoing Sorsby saga.

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The controversy involves legal rulings that have made Sorsby eligible to play after Texas Tech and the NCAA declared him ineligible over sports wagering. Sorsby was granted an injunction against the NCAA that restored his eligibility temporarily, allowing him to play in 2026 after serving a two-game suspension.

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Many, including the Big 12 itself, have come out staunchly against the ruling. They argue it presents an existential threat to the integrity of college athletics.

Sorsby placed dozens of sports bets while a student-athlete, including bets on his own program while at Indiana. The NCAA prohibits such activity.

Because of the legal posturing by Sorsby, the Big 12 and even programs outside the conference, like Michigan, have explored various avenues to state their own intent. Already, programs like Georgia and Nebraska have taken steps to avoid scheduling Texas Tech in athletics contests as a form of protest.

Last week, reports emerged from both athletic departments about their intent. Dellenger provided much of the reporting.

“Based on recent developments, Georgia Athletics will not schedule future contests against Texas Tech until further notice,” Georgia’s internal message read.

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“Please review your sport’s current schedules and future scheduling plans. If you have any contests currently scheduled against Texas Tech, or are actively engaged in scheduling discussions with Texas Tech, please notify your sport administrator as soon as possible so we can evaluate the situation and determine next steps.

“Effective immediately, no new contests should be scheduled against Texas Tech without prior approval from the Athletics Department.”

The message from Nebraska was a bit briefer. But it carried the same directive.

“I want to reach out to let you know we will not schedule any contests vs. Texas Tech in any sport,” the memo read. “If you currently have a future contest already scheduled, please connect with (Nebraska athletic director) Troy (Dannen) immediately.”

Now Michigan has reportedly actively taken a step to cancel a contest against Texas Tech. It may not be the last, either.

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Mark Hollis tells AP he’s interested in Michigan State AD job after Kentucky hires J Batt

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Mark Hollis tells AP he’s interested in Michigan State AD job after Kentucky hires J Batt


The University of Kentucky has hired athletic director J Batt away from Michigan State, a little more than a year after he left Georgia Tech.

Kentucky announced the move on Monday, delivering another blow to Michigan State’s leadership.

“The championship standard has been established at Kentucky and we are committed to upholding that standard of excellence,” Batt said.

Shortly thereafter, former Michigan State AD Mark Hollis told The Associated Press he wants to lead the Spartans’ athletic department again.

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“I would be interested in talking to Michigan State about it,” Hollis said at Detroit Golf Club, where he was serving his role as tournament director of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic. “I care for the university and I want to help it in any way I can.”

Batt will succeed retiring Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart. Barnhart has had the job since 2002, making him the longest-serving AD in the Southeastern Conference. Barnhart won’t take on a high-paying role at the school after Gov. Andy Beshear questioned decision-making at the school.

A year ago, Michigan State hired Batt away from Georgia Tech, where he was its athletic director since the fall of 2022. Before leading Georgia Tech’s athletic department, he was executive deputy athletic director at Alabama and served as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer in the athletic department.

Michigan State athletic director J Batt speaks during a news conference, June 4, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. Credit: AP/Larry Lage

“Across these institutions, J has distinguished himself as a record-breaker in fundraising and as a leader who strategically invests in facilities to maximize resources and revenue,” University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said.

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Batt’s exit follows Michigan State President Kevin M. Guskiewicz choosing to leave for the same job at Clemson.

Hollis had a successful run for a decade as AD at Michigan State before announcing his retirement in 2018 amid the fallout from the sex abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar, a former Michigan State sports doctor who also worked for USA Gymnastics.

He also was credited with innovative concepts such as putting a court in the middle of a football field as he did when Michigan State played Kentucky in 2003 at Detroit’s Ford Field in front of a then-world-record crowd of 78,129 at a basketball game.

Hollis, a Michigan State graduate and close friend of Spartans basketball coach Tom Izzo, hired Mark Dantonio and he became the school’s all-time winningest football coach.



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