PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: Indiana’s GOP state senate leader announced the chamber will not reconvene in December to redraw congressional maps, dealing a setback to President Donald J. Trump’s redistricting push.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R), Vice President J.D. Vance, and Indiana lawmakers.
WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on Friday in Indianapolis, Indiana.
KEY QUOTE: “Today, I’m announcing there are not enough votes to move that idea forward, and the Senate will not reconvene in December.” – Rodric Bray
IMPACT: The decision weakens the GOP’s efforts to secure a stronger House majority through redistricting, while Democrats ramp up similar efforts in other states.
IN FULL
Indiana state Republican lawmakers announced Friday that the state Senate will no longer convene in December to redraw congressional maps, delivering a significant blow to President Donald J. Trump‘s push for mid-decade redistricting to preserve his Republican House of Representatives majority. State Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R) made the decision to forego the December special session after determining the effort lacked the support to be successful after a failed test vote.
“Today, I’m announcing there are not enough votes to move that idea forward, and the Senate will not reconvene in December,” Bray said in a statement. The decision comes despite efforts by Vice President J.D. Vance, who visited Indiana multiple times to lobby lawmakers, and President Trump, who had hosted Bray and other state leaders in the Oval Office to discuss the matter in August.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from Trump’s allies. Alex Bruesewitz, a supporter of the America First leader, took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out Bray and other Republicans, saying, “Our party can no longer afford to harbor these gutless, self-serving traitors who stab us in the back while accomplishing absolutely nothing.” Meanwhile, Governor Mike Braun (R-IN) urged the Senate to “do the right thing and show up to vote for fair maps.”
Democrats, on the other hand, celebrated the decision. Representative Andre Carson (D-IN), whose seat was likely to be redrawn, praised the move, stating, “Prayer, people, and partnerships power change. Hoosiers do things differently. We’re about collaboration, not division.” Carson commended Bray and other lawmakers for sticking to “Hoosier values.”
The setback in Indiana is part of a broader struggle for Republican-led redistricting efforts, which have also stalled in Kansas, Nebraska, and New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Democrats are advancing their own redistricting plans in states like California and Virginia, which could potentially result in the gain of several seats.
Image by Ted Eytan.
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The post Now the Indiana GOP Is Throwing in the Towel on Redistricting? appeared first on The National Pulse.
