Indiana’s Republican-led Senate rejected a new congressional map for the state on Thursday, breaking with President Donald Trump in his push to gerrymander more House seats for the GOP.
The stunning repudiation of the president’s redistricting demands marked the biggest break yet from Trump’s plan and could dent the party’s efforts to effectively claim more seats before the 2026 midterm elections are even held.
Texas moved first to gerrymander its districts in a mid-decade departure from traditional redistricting periods, with some other GOP-led states following suit. California Democrats countered with a ballot measure that will allow them to bypass that state’s usual process.
All of the various remapping efforts quickly landed in court, with litigation ongoing.
Of Indiana’s nine U.S. House seats, the proposed map was meant to secure for Republicans the only two seats that are held by Democrats.
One of the most contentious aspects was Marion County, home to Indianapolis, and one of the most diverse locations in the state. The bill would have split the county into four different districts.
The White House had exerted immense pressure on state Senate GOP holdouts, many who hadn’t discussed their voting plans publicly but sided overwhelmingly with Democrats to reach a 31-19 final vote tally Thursday afternoon.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump threatened electoral consequences for Republicans who vote “no” on the new congressional map, saying: “Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring.”
Trump specifically called out Indiana Senate Republican leader Rodric Bray in the post. Bray said last month the state Senate did not have enough support for Trump’s map to pass, drawing the president’s ire as he fights to preserve the razor-thin Republican majority in the House of Representatives through the 2026 midterm elections. Shortly after the vote Thursday, Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun announced he will work with Trump to mount primary challenges against the GOP senators who sided with Democrats to strike down the map, saying their decision carries “political consequences” in a post on X. More than 10 Republican lawmakers in Indiana have reported threats of violence and swatting attacks amid Trump’s demand for redistricting in the state. In striking down the map, those state senators refuted the White House pressure campaign and the threats that had been made on their lives. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. Recommended
