The Indiana House on Friday approved a new congressional map designed to give Republicans two seats, setting up a showdown over President Donald Trump’s redistricting effort in the state Senate.
The bill passed the state House by 57 votes in favor and 41 against. But Republican leaders in the Indiana Senate have said there is not enough support for the map, which is designed to give the GOP control of the state’s nine congressional districts. But the White House has for months pressed reluctant Indiana lawmakers to redraw their map as Trump seeks to shore up his party’s narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The fight has been divisive, leading to threats of primary challenges and violent harassment against Republican lawmakers who oppose the new map. At least 11 elected Republicans in Indiana have been victims of “swatting” attempts, which is when false police reports are made in an effort to provoke an alarming response from authorities, and other threats.
Representatives André Carson and Frank Mrvan are currently the only Democrats representing Indiana in Congress. The map drawn by Republicans would divide their districts. He proposes dividing Indianapolis into four districts, diluting the state’s Democratic voting center and dividing the Democratic-leaning northwest part of the state into two districts.
The map was drawn up with politics in mind first, said Rep. Ben Smaltz, the Republican who introduced the legislation. He said it was drawn by the National Republican Redistricting Fund, a group that also drew the new Texas map. When asked by a Democratic colleague if public funds were spent to draw the map, Smaltz said he did not know who had paid for the national group to draw the map.
The map was approved by the state House after more than three hours of comments and condemnation from Democrats.
“This is a direct attack on the system, but more importantly, it is a blatant sign that you don’t care what Hoosiers want,” said state House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta.
Democratic state Rep. Matt Pierce criticized Republicans for attempting to remove Democrats entirely from the state’s congressional delegation and conducting a rushed and unusual redistricting process.
“Imagine having to be a member of Congress and, when considering issues, having to represent communities in downtown Indianapolis and communities in the rural areas along the river, that’s a really difficult thing to do,” he said.
While state House Speaker Todd Huston made brief comments in support of the map, Smaltz was the only Republican to speak in defense of it on Friday.
“While the census underpins the process, nothing in the law prevents a legislature from reviewing maps when circumstances warrant,” he said.
Indiana is just the latest state to enter the unusually aggressive mid-decade redistricting initiative at Trump’s behest. Republicans got a boost Thursday when the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas to use its new map, which could lead the party to gain as many as five seats in the 2026 elections.
California did the same with a map drawn up by Democrats that aims to undo any GOP gains in Texas that voters approved last month.
Republicans in Missouri and North Carolina have enacted new maps that could give the party an additional House seat in each state. Ohio lawmakers approved new district lines that may give Republicans a slight boost, while a court-ordered map in Utah will likely lead to a one-seat gain for Democrats.
Elsewhere, Republicans in Florida and Democrats in Virginia have taken initial steps to redraw their maps, efforts that will extend into next year.
