Politics

Indiana Moves To Eliminate Two Democrats But Republican Holdouts May Put Kibosh On New Proposed Map

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (Screen Capture/CSPAN)

Indiana House Republicans are marching full steam ahead in their effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterm elections, but the effort could be dead-on-arrival in the state Senate.

The Indiana House unveiled a draft congressional map on Monday that would give the GOP an advantage in all nine of the state’s congressional districts, potentially netting Republicans two additional House seats. Though President Donald Trump and Republican Indiana Governor Mike Braun have endorsed the redistricting push, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray has opposed the mid-decade redraw and warned the effort could die in his chamber, despite Republicans controlling 40 of its 50 seats.

The draft map largely eliminates the Indianapolis-based district held by Democratic Rep. André Carson. Under Republicans’ new plan, the capital city is divided into four districts that stretch into Republican-heavy rural areas.

The draft congressional map would also split up Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan’s northwest Indiana district among multiple Republican-leaning seats, making the three-term lawmaker’s reelection bid a steep climb.

Trump would have won all nine of the map’s proposed districts by at least 12 points during the 2024 presidential election, according to an analysis by one Indiana Democrat.

The president has urged Republican-led states to engage in mid-decade redistricting to carve out more GOP-favored seats ahead of the midterms and protect House Republicans’ razor-thin majority.

State House Speaker Todd Huston has said his conference will pass the new map. His chamber could vote as early as this week.

The state Senate is expected to meet on Dec. 8 to discuss the House redistricting plan after repeatedly signaling for months that a new congressional map would not have the voters to pass the chamber. It is unclear whether the GOP holdouts will support the draft map.

A spokesperson for Bray did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Trump and Braun have threatened to support primary challenges against Republican holdouts, though many opposed senators are not up for reelection until 2028.

“I will be strongly endorsing against any State Senator or House member from the Great State of Indiana that votes against the Republican Party, and our Nation, by not allowing for Redistricting for Congressional seats in the United States House of Representatives,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Nov. 17. “We must keep the Majority at all costs.”

Turning Point Action, the non-tax-deductible arm of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), is notably organizing a rally Friday to pressure the state Senate to support Trump’s redistricting push.

Indiana would become the fifth Republican-leaning state to draw new House districts if the state legislature ultimately passes the draft congressional map. Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri have all redrawn their congressional maps to give Republicans an edge in the midterms, though legal challenges are ongoing.

Democrats are also poised to benefit from redistricting in California and Utah. Virginia, Maryland and Illinois could also redraw their congressional maps to eliminate several GOP-held seats ahead of the 2026 elections.