New reports have emerged revealing Indiana’s GOP-controlled Senate lacks the votes necessary to approve President Donald Trump’s congressional redistricting map, despite the president winning the state by 19 points in the 2024 election. Conservatives are now worried that failure to approve the map could result in the loss of two Republican seats deemed necessary to counter Democratic Party advantages in other parts of the country, including California.
Voices within the conservative movement feel Indiana’s inability to lock down votes needed for the redistricting map is evidence that despite the major victory Trump scored in 2024, there’s still a divide within the Republican Party between those in the MAGA camp and others belonging to the establishment. More worrisome, they say, is that this divide is rearing its ugly head at a time when unity is desperately needed to maintain control over the House of Representatives.
Right now, the state’s current congressional delegation favors Republicans 7-2. The new redistricting map could turn one or two blue districts red. Such a gain is believed by the president and his supporters to be a crucial part of offsetting Democratic gains in the House.
While the initial news isn’t good for Republicans, the White House is still hopeful, according to Politico, that the Indiana Senate can still secure the necessary votes to pass the map. However, the holdout seems to be Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray. A person close to Bray says that should he lend his support to the effort, it could ultimately tip the scales in favor of the redistricting map, however, his office is insisting the votes aren’t there.
Trending Politics News points out that mid-decade redistricting has become a political war between the two parties as each dukes it out to try and gain the advantage necessary to take control of Congress. Both Missouri and North Carolina, for example, have already approved redrawn maps that give the GOP additional seats and bolster the party’s control over the House.
For example, North Carolina lawmakers already approved an additional Republican seat in response to the president’s call for the GOP to work toward protecting the narrow lead they currently have in the House.
Another road block for redistricting in Indiana is state law. Indiana has placed strict limits on redistricting to post-census sessions. However, conservatives have correctly pointed out that with a supermajority of Republicans calling the shots, the limitations can be changed.
"*" indicates required fields
Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN) has promised he would fight tooth-and-nail against “gerrymandering,” citing the 2010 Fair Districts Amendments, which were created to stop minority voting power from being diluted. Conservatives see things differently. They believe President Trump’s huge victory in Indiana justifies aggressive new map-drawing efforts in order to push back against decades of Democratic gerrymandering.
Those within the MAGA movement are saying this isn’t a mere policy fight, but serves as a litmus test for loyalty to the president’s agenda. If this effort fails, it could result in Democrats gaining the leverage they need to block Trump’s legislative agenda in the coming year and possibly beyond.
Listen to MSNBC freaking out over Republicans getting serious about redistricting here: