the white house continues Promote redistrictingVice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to fly into Indiana for the second time in recent months on Friday, according to a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration.
other Republican-led states like texas and Missouri answered immediately. The White House is pushing for new congressional district maps that are expected to favor Republicans in the 2026 election, but Indiana lawmakers have been noticeably hesitant. Indiana legislative leaders have said little publicly about their position on the issue in the months since Vance’s first visit.
Mr. Vance’s visit will be at least the third time he has discussed the possibility with Indiana Republican lawmakers. he met Personally with Governor Mike Brown and legislative leaders A rally was held in Indianapolis on August 7 to discuss the matter, and pressure mounted in the weeks that followed. Trump met privately. On August 26, he met with State House Speaker Todd Huston, State Senate President Pro Tem Rodrick Bray, and others in the Oval Office. Mr. Vance also spoke with other members of Congress who were in Washington, D.C., that day.
Vance’s office did not respond to messages seeking comment.
The offices of Mr. Brown, Mr. Houston and Mr. Bray also did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Typically, states redraw their congressional boundaries every 10 years, in conjunction with a census, in a process called redistricting. Indiana completed its own current map in 2021. President Donald Trump hired a Republican governor. Create new congressional districts to empower the party easier way This is to maintain the majority in the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections.
Texas and Missouri have established new school districts: California Democratic Party Seeking voter approval to add up to five Democratic nominees seat in parliament.
The vice president’s visit comes three weeks after the former transportation secretary. pete buttigiega potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate rallied against Indiana’s redistricting, which Trump won by 19 percentage points in 2024.
Brown, a Republican and a strong ally of President Trump, said redistricting is likely. But he has not yet called a special session of Congress, saying he wants to make sure lawmakers move forward with the new map. Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers.
The deadline to register to run in the 2026 Indiana general election is February 6, leaving about four months to convene a special legislative session, draw and approve new maps, and finalize candidates to run in the newly drawn districts.
Republicans outnumbered Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation by a 7-2 margin. However, many within the party argue that we should aim for all nine.
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. Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised the district’s existing boundaries after adopting them 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.
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.
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.
__
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report. Vollmert reported from Lansing, Michigan.
