The Indiana Senate voted 31 to 19 against a congressional redistricting plan backed by President Trump that aimed to help Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. The defeat Thursday in a chamber where 40 of the 50 members are Republicans is the first time members of Trump’s own party have voted down his mid-decade redistricting push. Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have answered his call for a mid-decade redistricting scramble.
“My opposition to mid-cycle gerrymandering is not in contrast to my conservative principles, my opposition is driven by them,” Republican state Sen. Spencer Deery said during the debate. “As long as I have breath, I will use my voice to resist a federal government that attempts to bully, direct and control this state or any state. Giving the federal government more power is not conservative.”
Indiana Democrats, who hold two of the state’s nine U.S. House seats, opposed the plan as well, saying it would dilute the voting power of minority communities. Normally, states redraw districts early in the decade after the decennial census.
The vote followed weeks of political turmoil and opposition from some Republicans who said constituents did not want current districts altered. Protesters outside the chamber chanted “vote no” and “Hoosiers fight fair.” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican who has supported Trump’s call for redistricting, and Trump have threatened to back primary challenges against senators who oppose the effort. Amid tensions, Braun and other Republican lawmakers said they and their families have been the targets of anonymous threats.
During debate, Vice President Vance wrote on X that Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray had told the administration he wouldn’t fight redistricting but was encouraging votes against it. “That level of dishonesty cannot be rewarded,” Vance wrote. Bray voted no.
Supporters of the redistricting argued it was a political move to help keep the U.S. House in Republican control and noted that some Democratic-led states have redrawn maps to favor Democrats. “Only a handful of districts throughout the United States will determine who controls Congress. We may or may not do our part today to keep our nation in the hands of Republicans and do the right thing for our state,” Republican state Sen. Mike Young said. “Whether we choose to play the game or not play the game we will determine the fate of our state and country.”
Ben Thorp is a reporter for WFYI. Larry Kaplow is with NPR.