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Indiana Senate Republicans are refusing to return for a December redistricting session sought by President Donald Trump — a decision first reported Friday by the Indiana Capital Chronicle and one that marks a notable break from Trump’s political operation as states prepare for the 2026 midterms.
Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said in a written statement that there were not enough votes within the GOP caucus to reopen Indiana’s congressional map, according to the Chronicle. Lawmakers had been expected to reconvene Dec. 1 for what would have been an unusual mid-decade attempt to redraw all nine congressional districts.
“Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps,” Bray said, according to the Chronicle. “There are not enough votes to move that idea forward.”
Gov. Mike Braun had called for lawmakers to meet in November to take up redistricting and argued that Republicans should add additional GOP-leaning districts before Democrats in other states complete their own mapping changes.
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Indiana Gov. Mike Braun blasted state senators for blocking a special session for redistricting scheduled for Dec. 1. (ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images)
He urged lawmakers to “show up and do the right thing,” according to a statement released by his office.
Indiana’s current map, drawn by Republicans in 2021, gives the GOP a 7-2 congressional advantage. Redistricting supporters had wanted lawmakers to craft a map in which all nine districts favored Republicans based on 2020 Census data.
The push came after months of pressure from Trump allies, including strategist Marty Obst, who now leads the group Fair Maps Indiana. Obst told the Chronicle that Bray “blocked the special session” and warned that “decisions have consequences.”
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Governor Braun had previously served in the United States Senate before his election in 2024. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Eight Republican state senators had publicly opposed redistricting, while 13 had expressed support, the Chronicle reported. Undecided senators were targeted with a wave of television, digital and mail advertising campaigns from pro-redistricting groups.
Democrats quickly praised Bray’s announcement. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder said in a statement to the Chronicle that “Washington insiders pressured the governor to rig Indiana’s congressional maps,” calling the collapse of the effort a “win for all of us.”
Public polling cited by the Chronicle suggested that Indiana voters also leaned against revisiting the maps. University of Indianapolis political science professor Laura Merrifield Wilson told the Chronicle that surveys indicated roughly a two-to-one margin opposing a mid-decade redraw.
The Indiana Statehouse appears on May 5, 2017, in Indianapolis. Four statewide elected officials in Indiana including the attorney general and secretary of state will be allowed to carry handguns in the state Capitol thanks to a bill sent to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
Turning down Trump’s request makes Indiana the first Republican-led state to formally reject his redistricting push. The president has encouraged similar efforts in several states, with varying results.
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Some of the effort’s loudest supporters signaled they would continue pressing the issue. State Sen. Liz Brown called the move “cowardly” on social media, according to screenshots published by the Chronicle, and vowed to raise redistricting again when lawmakers return for Organization Day next week.
The White House, Bray’s office and Braun’s office did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
