The Indiana Supreme Court has reversed a recount result that briefly made President Trump-endorsed challenger Paula Copenhaver the winner of one of the closest Republican primaries in the country.

The court ordered election officials to certify incumbent state Sen. Spencer Deery as the Republican nominee in Indiana Senate District 23, with Deery leading Copenhaver by just three votes.

The ruling ends a months-long fight in which the reported winner changed twice — first after the May primary, then after an August recount, and now again under the state’s highest court.

The Washington Post summarized the result and the political context surrounding the race:

The dispute centered on six ballots cast for Deery that were rejected during the recount because election workers had failed to add required signatures or seals.

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The Indiana Supreme Court said Indiana Code section 3-12-1-12 makes an otherwise qualifying ballot legally countable when the defect was caused by an election officer. After written submissions and oral arguments, a majority voted to set aside the Recount Commission’s determination that Copenhaver had received more votes.

The court ordered the commission to recertify the totals as 6,335 for Deery and 6,332 for Copenhaver. It also vacated a September 3 stay and directed election preparations to resume with Deery listed as the Republican candidate for Senate District 23.

The one-page order took effect immediately. Chief Justice Loretta Rush wrote that the court would issue a fuller opinion explaining its reasoning later, so the order resolved the ballot question before publication of the justices’ complete legal analysis.

Local television coverage reported the immediate effect on the November ballot:

The razor-thin contest began with Deery leading the May 5 primary by three votes, 6,337 to 6,334.

An August recount then rejected eight Deery ballots and two Copenhaver ballots. That changed the certified totals to 6,332 for Copenhaver and 6,329 for Deery, giving the challenger the same three-vote edge Deery had held before the recount.

Indiana Public Media reported that four of the disputed Deery ballots were absentee-by-mail votes and two were early in-person votes. All six lacked a county clerk’s required stamp or signature, but Deery argued that the omissions were made by election workers rather than voters.

The outlet reported that the justices issued their order about three hours after oral arguments. That compressed timetable mattered because absentee ballots had to be mailed to voters who requested them by September 19, while early voting was scheduled to begin October 6.

The case also moved directly from the Indiana Recount Commission to the state Supreme Court after the justices granted an emergency transfer. With the stay lifted, county election officials can proceed using Deery’s name instead of Copenhaver’s.

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NBC News also reported the final result after the months-long recount dispute:

The race carried a larger political backdrop because Copenhaver received President Trump’s endorsement after Deery opposed a push to redraw Indiana’s congressional map before the 2026 midterm elections.

Trump backed several challengers against Republican state senators who resisted the redistricting plan. That made the District 23 primary part of a broader intraparty fight, even though the court’s order turned on how Indiana law treats ballot defects caused by election officials.

Deery welcomed the decision and said the dispute was larger than his own campaign. In a statement released after the ruling, he argued that voters who follow the rules should not lose their ballots because of government error.

Copenhaver said she disagreed with the court’s decision but respected its authority. She wished Deery well and said she planned to remain involved in election-integrity issues.

The immediate consequence is that Copenhaver’s recount victory has been set aside, and Deery will appear as the Republican candidate for Senate District 23 in November.

He is scheduled to face Democrat David Sanders in the general election.

Featured image: Indiana State Senator Spencer Deery. Official public-domain photograph by the office of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb.

The image has been reframed and color-enhanced.

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This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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