Indiana residents participate in primary elections on the 5th (local time) [AP=Yonhap News File]

Primaries (preliminary elections) to select candidate nominees are in full swing across various U.S. states ahead of the midterm elections in November, which will decide federal House and Senate members and governors.

With the "redistricting" efforts, where both parties aim to redraw electoral maps to their advantage, intensifying, attention is focused on how President Donald Trump's open opposition to Republican lawmakers who rejected these changes will affect the primary outcomes.

A key point to watch is whether President Trump's political standing, which has exerted strong influence within the Republican Party since his re-election, will be reaffirmed or weakened.

According to CNN and The New York Times (NYT), primaries will be held in Indiana on the 5th (local time) for eight state Senate districts.

President Trump has publicly criticized seven incumbent state senators who opposed the redistricting he demanded, and is supporting their challengers. He has exerted influence by inviting them to the White House and expressing his support on social media.

Last November, President Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Any Republican who votes against this important redistricting, which will affect the whole country, must be defeated in their primaries."

Although state legislative primaries typically receive less attention, President Trump's direct involvement has drawn national interest.

Republicans hold an overwhelming majority in the Indiana State Legislature, but a significant number of Republican lawmakers opposed President Trump's redistricting request. While the State House passed the Republican-led redistricting plan, some Republican senators allied with Democrats to defeat it in the Senate.

Republican State Senator Spencer Deery, who opposed redistricting, stated in a recent interview that forcing additional redistricting beyond the usual decennial process is unfair, calling it "wrong from a constitutional, moral, and ethical standpoint."

U.S. President Trump [EPA=Yonhap News]

Primaries to select party nominees for governor and U.S. Senate will be held in Ohio on the same day.

In the gubernatorial race to select a successor to outgoing Governor Mike DeWine (Republican), Vivek Ramaswamy of the Republican Party, who led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and former State Health Director Amy Acton of the Democratic Party are expected to be selected as their parties' nominees and face off.

Political news outlet Politico analyzed that President Trump has been exerting influence by campaigning against opponents within the party and publicly supporting challengers.

Consequently, there is ongoing competition among Republican candidates to secure President Trump's endorsement, and many candidates appear to still be mindful of President Trump's stance.

However, with mounting political pressure from the war with Iran and rising inflation, and with declining approval ratings, some forecasts suggest that it has become difficult to guarantee the victory of candidates endorsed by President Trump as the midterm election race intensifies.