Legislators in Indiana are set to reconvene next week to consider redrawing the state’s congressional map despite the state Senate leader’s indicating this month that there wasn’t sufficient GOP support to follow through on President Donald Trump push for redistricting.
Indiana’s House and Senate Republican leaders agreed that the Legislature would meet starting next week to look into redrawing their state’s congressional boundaries after Trump has repeatedly criticized them for not taking steps to help Republicans pick up more House seats in next year’s midterm elections.
State House Speaker Todd Huston said in a statement Tuesday that House Republicans would consider all legislative business, “including redrawing the state’s congressional map,” when it reconvenes Monday.
“Because session will start early this year, we plan to adjust the calendar and complete our legislative business by the end of February,” Huston said.
Shortly after his announcement, the Republican leader of the state Senate, Rodric Bray, said his chamber would reconvene a week later on Dec. 8.
“The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state,” Bray said in a statement, adding that the Senate would meet “and make a final decision that week on any redistricting proposal sent from the House.”
Trump praised the effort on Truth Social, writing in part: “It looks like the Indiana Senate Republicans will be coming back in two weeks to take up Redistricting, a very important initiative.”
“Republicans must do what is necessary to stop the destruction of our Country by these people who hate America, and are so ungrateful for the opportunities our Nation has given them,” he added.
Bray previously said the Senate was shy of the votes needed to advance a new Republican-drawn map sought by both Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Braun.
Trump had responded by threatening on Truth Social to back a primary challenge against Bray and “any other politician who supports him in this stupidity.”
Braun reinforced that message, saying he would back Trump’s effort to “recruit, endorse, and finance primary challengers for Indiana’s senators who refuse to support” a new congressional map for Indiana.
In addition to potential primary challenges, at least one legislator — state Sen. Greg Goode — who was targeted by Trump’s redistricting push in Indiana was also the victim of a swatting incident last week.
Texas was the first state to set off a national midcycle redistricting battle between both parties after it approved a new Republican-drawn congressional map in August. The Supreme Court recently got involved and is reviewing a challenge to the Texas map.
Republicans in Missouri and North Carolina also passed new maps this year to boost their party, and the Justice Department joined a Republican-led lawsuit challenging a Democratic-drawn map in California that voters approved this month.
