Republican redistricting push hits gas as Indiana joins party

Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced Monday that he is calling lawmakers in for a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map, in a move likely to add up to two more GOP seats.

Braun wrote in a statement posted to X that he is calling the special legislative session to “protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington.” The announcement comes after President Donald Trump reportedly called GOP Indiana lawmakers earlier this month to urge them to redraw congressional district lines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun wrote in the social media post. “I am also asking the legislature to conform Indiana’s tax code with new federal tax provisions to ensure stability and certainty for taxpayers and tax preparers for 2026 filings.”

Indiana currently has a House delegation consisting of seven Republicans and two Democrats. Braun did not say in his statement whether his state’s Republicans will seek to flip one or both of the Democratic seats to the GOP via mid-decade redistricting.

Indiana Republican State Sen. Scott Baldwin said in a Monday statement posted to Facebook that he supports Braun’s efforts “to strengthen Indiana’s voice in Congress through redistricting.”

“It’s no secret that many blue states are already heavily gerrymandered to benefit the Democratic Party,” Baldwin wrote in the statement. “They continue to squeeze out additional blue seats from already blue states, while the voices of states like Indiana are increasingly drowned out in Congress. Redistricting now stands to elevate Hoosier voices for critical issues in Congress.”

Meanwhile, Indiana Senate Democrats said in a X post on Monday in response to Braun’s announcement that the Indiana governor was calling “an illegitimate session to rig our maps.”

“Gov. Braun just called an illegitimate session to rig our maps—for Trump,” according to the Indiana Senate Democrats’ X post. “Not for the Constitution. Not a court order. Just Trump. He chose DC over Indiana. Power over people. Cheating over leadership. Prove him wrong. Show up. Speak out.”

Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said he was backing Braun’s redistricting push in a post to X, writing that “we’ve been clear from the start that redistricting should happen and are ready, once the new map gets across the finish line, to defend it in court.”

Vice President JD Vance visited Indiana in early August to discuss redistricting with state lawmakers, Axios reported on Aug. 5.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has reportedly been attempting to convince Democrats in Illinois to redraw the state’s congressional districts. Jeffries visited Illinois on Monday morning to meet the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus as well as black members of the state’s congressional delegation to discuss redistricting in the state, Punchbowl News reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with the situation.

Moreover, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been pushing for the Golden State’s House map to be redrawn ahead of the 2026 midterms in response to Texas Republicans approving a redrawn map in August that aims to flip up to five seats to Republican.

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