On Monday, a longtime Indiana Republican said he’s done with his party, and he put the blame squarely on Donald Trump’s Republican Party.
After nearly two decades in office, Republican state lawmaker Ed Clere said he will not seek another term, blaming a GOP climate he says has turned hostile.
“There are many good Republicans, but the Republican Party has lost its way, and I can no longer be a part of it,” Clere told the News and Tribune.
That statement alone speaks volumes.
Clere described the Indiana General Assembly as “dysfunctional and toxic,” saying Trump-era chaos from Washington has crept into state government.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
He made it clear this was not a sudden decision. The break has been building for years.
“I’ve always tried to voice and vote my conscience, and at times it has put me at odds with other Republicans at the Statehouse,” Clere said.
The breaking point came late last year.
Clere was among roughly a dozen Indiana Republicans who, in December, blocked a redistricting effort pushed by Trump and JD Vance ahead of the midterms. The plan was widely seen as an aggressive power grab.
That vote came with consequences.
Clere said he received a bomb threat at his home shortly after the redistricting fight. “I think the redistricting debacle last year is an example of toxic Washington politics making their way into Indiana,” he said.
Clere has never fit neatly into the MAGA mold. Over the years, he has broken with his party on Medicaid expansion, abortion, gay marriage, transgender rights, and other major issues. Those differences only widened under Trump.
“You’ve heard that saying before: ‘I didn’t leave the party. The party left me,’” Clere told IndyStar. “That’s how I feel.”
“Under Trump, it has become unrecognizable,” Clere said. “We’ve seen the very divisive and dysfunctional politics of Washington make their way into Indiana.”
Rather than run again for his House seat, Clere said he will run for mayor of New Albany as an independent in the next municipal election. “As an independent, I won’t have to consider party politics,” he said. “My only consideration will be what’s right for the people of New Albany.”
The party’s reaction was immediate. Clere lost access to private GOP caucus meetings after his announcement, signaling a clean break from leadership.
Clere said the move was disappointing, but not surprising.
His exit comes as other Republicans also step away during Trump’s second term. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned earlier this year after breaking with the administration over the Epstein files. Several GOP lawmakers, including Mitch McConnell and Joni Ernst, have also announced they will not seek reelection.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
