Indiana’s Republican governor said Monday that he is scheduling a special legislative session. redraw parliamentary boundaries After weeks of pressure to support President Donald Trump’s efforts to add more seats up for grabs. Mid-cycle redistricting.
Mr Trump is pressure on republicans to draw a new map for the party An easier way to maintain control of the House of Representatives during the midterm elections. While Republicans are in Texas and Missouri; north carolina Although they moved quickly to create new districts, Indiana lawmakers are hesitant.
Republican Gov. Mike Brown called for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3 for a special session. It’s unclear whether enough Republican-majority senators will support the new map.
The White House held multiple meetings with Indiana lawmakers who have been holding out for months. Congressional leaders didn’t play cards in their hands as speculation swirled over whether the state, known for its more cautious approach to Republican politics, would heed calls for redistricting.
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national pressure campaign
Vice President J.D. Vance meets for the first time with Brown and Congressional leaders in indianapolis in august Trump met privately. A few weeks later, he met with state House Speaker Todd Huston and state Senate President Pro Tem Roderick Bray in the Oval Office. Vance also met with state lawmakers who visited Washington that day.
vance returned to Indianapolis He is scheduled to meet with the governor and other Republican state representatives and senators on October 10.
Mr. Brown is a staunch ally of Mr. Trump in a state the president won by a 19-point margin in 2024. But Indiana lawmakers have avoided national attention in recent years — especially after the results were passed in the 2022 special session. strict abortion ban. Brown previously said he did not want to call a special session until he was sure lawmakers supported the new map.
“I am calling a special session to protect Hoosiers from efforts by other states to weaken their voice in Washington and ensure fair representation of Hoosiers in Congress,” Brown said in a statement Monday.
Typically, states redraw their congressional district lines every 10 years after the end of the census. What is expected from your opponent is Challenge the new map in court.
In Indiana, where Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers, state lawmakers have sole authority to draw maps. Democrats were unable to cancel the special session. refuse to attendas their comrades in Texas did for a time.
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Redraw the map mid-cycle
A spokesman for Mr. Bray said last week that the Indiana Senate lacked the votes to pass a new congressional map, and said on Monday that the votes were still missing, casting doubt on whether a special session would be able to accomplish Mr. Braun’s goals.
There are only 10 Democrats in the 50-member Senate, meaning more than a dozen of the 40 Republicans oppose the proposal. Some state Republican lawmakers have warned that mid-cycle redistricting could be costly and politically counterproductive.
Republicans who vote against redistricting could be forced out of office if they support their primary opponent as punishment for their colleagues not towing the party line. Mr. Brown’s decision to convene a special session may force lawmakers who have not publicly commented so far to take a stand.
Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised the existing border after implementing it four years ago.
“These maps reflect feedback from the public and we believe they will serve Hoosiers for the next 10 years,” Bray said at the time.
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelley Yoder denounced the special session and threatened legal action over the map passed by the Legislature.
“This is not democracy. This is despair,” she said in a statement.
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Democrats only need to win three seats to flip the US House of Representatives, and redistricting battles are erupting in several states.
Some Democratic states are moving to counter the Republican advance with new congressional maps. Latest, virginiaplans to take up the issue at a special legislative session starting this week.
Republicans hold a 7-2 advantage over Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation, limiting their chances of picking up new seats. But many within the party see it as an opportunity for Republicans to represent all nine seats.
Republicans are likely to target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a longtime Democratic stronghold that includes Gary and cities near Chicago in the northwestern part of the state. Republicans believe they could win the seat held by three-term Democratic Rep. Frank Murban in recent elections.
Indiana lawmakers redrawn the district lines as follows: slightly advantageous For Republicans in the 2022 election, but not completely split. The new map was not challenged in court after it was approved in 2021. There were no objections from Democrats or allies who had opposed changes that would give Republicans more standing in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis.
mr van still won Re-elected in 2022 and easily held the seat in 2024.
“We believe that representation should be earned through ideas and service, not through political manipulation,” Murban said in a statement Monday.
Republicans could also set their sights on Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, which consists entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis. But that option is even more controversial and could tear apart the state and its largest city. weaken the influence of black voters.
