INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) Senate President pro tem Rod Bray on Friday announced he will not seek reelection to his leadership post when lawmakers reassemble in November.Bray's decision follows a tumultuous few months for Republicans in the Indiana Senate. Following the defeat in December of an effort to redraw the state's Congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, six Trump-backed candidates defeated incumbents who voted against the new maps. Gov. Mike Braun had harshly criticized Bray's opposition to the new maps and, following the primary results, suggested Senate Republicans should consider whether to choose new leadership.The Senate president pro tempore sets legislative priorities, appoints committee chairs and assigns all bills filed each session to committee. The person holding that job casts floor votes but does not typically take part in floor debates or committee hearings. Bray has held the post since 2018.Bray said he will continue to serve in his role representing the Martinsville area. His term runs through 2028. "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. "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."Sen. Rod Bray(R) MartinsvillePresident Donald Trump has been vocal about his disapproval of Bray.After the announcement Friday, he made the following statement on Truth Social: I am pleased to announce that the man who so foolishly led the Indiana State Senate, with almost every Candidate losing their Race, many of them in Office for years, will not be seeking Re-Election as Senate President because he wouldnt have had a chance to be elected Better yet would be if he would resign from Office, completely, but he will be met by us at the Indiana Polls. Rodric Bray should be ashamed of himself for costing our Country, mainly the Republican Party, two U.S. House Seats, and for costing all of his colleagues who went along with him, an Election loss! Isnt it amazing how Politics works? I want to thank the Great State of Indiana for your support, not only in my Presidential Election, which we won with the Highest Vote in the History of the State, but also for your support in getting rid of wayward Senators, led down the Path of Destruction by a FOOL named Rodric Bray. Indiana, I will never forget your loyalty! President DONALD J. TRUMP ...read more read less