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Indiana lawmakers block controversial redistricting proposal
Indiana's Republican-led Senate defied former President Donald Trump on Thursday, voting down a GOP-backed redistricting plan designed to secure two additional congressional seats for the party in next year's midterm elections.
The measure, which had already passed the state House, failed 31-19 after 21 Senate Republicans joined all 10 Democrats in opposition. The outcome marks a rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump's push to redraw electoral maps nationwide ahead of the 2026 elections.
Trump's lobbying campaign falls short
For months, the White House pressured Indiana Republicans to approve the new voting map, which critics argued would dilute Democratic votes in Indianapolis and potentially unseat the state's only Black U.S. representative, André Carson. Trump personally lobbied lawmakers during White House meetings and dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Indiana twice to rally support.
On Wednesday, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to warn Republicans that opposing the plan could cost them their seats. He singled out Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, calling him "the only person in America" standing in the way of GOP gains.
"My opposition to mid-cycle gerrymandering is not in contrast to my conservative principles-my opposition is driven by them,"
Sen. Spencer Deery (R-Indiana)
Deery, one of the Republicans who voted against the plan, framed his stance as a defense of state sovereignty against federal overreach.
Fallout and national implications
Indiana Governor Mike Braun, a Republican, called the vote's outcome "very disappointing" and vowed to work with Trump to challenge lawmakers who "do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers." Meanwhile, activists celebrated the decision as a victory for fair representation.
"There's a lot of relief. People had thought we'd have to move to a legal strategy and didn't believe we could defeat it directly at the statehouse."
Keith "Wildstyle" Paschall, Indianapolis activist
The defeat adds to a string of recent setbacks for Trump, including Democratic wins in off-year elections. Conservative commentator Steve Bannon warned on his podcast, The War Room, that Republicans risk losing the U.S. House if they fail to gain a net 10 seats through redistricting.
Gerrymandering battles escalate across the U.S.
Indiana's vote comes amid a broader national fight over electoral maps. Texas Republicans recently secured Supreme Court approval for new boundaries expected to add five GOP seats, despite lower-court rulings that the maps were racially discriminatory. In California, Democrats are poised to gain five seats under a newly approved map.
Other states where redistricting efforts are underway include Ohio, Utah, New Hampshire, Missouri, and Illinois. The outcomes could reshape the balance of power in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Security concerns and next steps
Nearly a dozen Indiana Republican lawmakers reported receiving death threats and "swatting" incidents-a form of harassment involving false emergency calls-in the lead-up to Thursday's vote. Governor Braun has not indicated whether he will call a special session to revisit the issue, but legal challenges from either party remain likely.
