Indiana Senate Republicans announced Friday that they were rejecting President Donald Trump’s push for congressional redistricting — a move immediately blasted by Gov. Mike Braun.
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said in a news release Friday afternoon that the Senate won’t take up the issue as was expected in an unusual December session.
“Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps,” Bray said in a statement released by his office. “Today, I’m announcing there are not enough votes to move that idea forward, and the Senate will not reconvene in December.”
Indiana lawmakers were scheduled to meet starting Dec. 1 following a months-long pressure campaign by Trump’s administration and his supporters. That included two trips to Indianapolis by Vice President JD Vance.
The decision from Senate Republicans makes Indiana the first GOP-controlled state to not go along with Trump’s wish to squeeze out more Republican-friendly U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Braun had endorsed Trump’s push and had called for legislators to convene in a special session this month to redraw the congressional maps.
“I called for our legislators to convene to ensure Hoosiers’ voices in Washington, D.C., are not diluted by the Democrats’ gerrymandering,” Braun said in a statement released by the governor’s office. “Our state senators need to do the right thing and show up to vote for fair maps. Hoosiers deserve to know where their elected officials stand on important issues.”
Redistricting supporters had wanted Indiana lawmakers to craft a map with all nine Indiana congressional districts favoring Republicans based on 2020 census data.
The current congressional maps drawn by Republicans in 2021 had maintained a 7-2 GOP majority — with Democrat Frank Mrvan holding the 1st District in northwest Indiana and Democrat Andre Carson holding the 7th District covering much of Indianapolis.
Undecided senators had become the target of advertising campaigns, including digital, cellphone, television and mail ads from pro-redistricting groups.
But eight Republican senators among the 40-member caucus had come out publicly against redistricting, with 13 having announced their support, before Friday’s announcement by Bray.
Enough House Republicans were believed to be supportive of a redistricting effort for it to win passage in that chamber — putting the spotlight on GOP senators.
Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, celebrated the decision, saying in a statement that “Washington insiders pressured the Governor to rig Indiana’s congressional maps in the middle of a decade for one reason.”
They were afraid of voters. They were afraid of losing power the honest way,” Yoder said. “… Now that this reckless idea has collapsed, our focus can return to where it should have been all along. Hoosiers. Their budgets. Their safety. Their health. Their future.”
This story will be updated.
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