Indiana Republicans rolled out an aggressive draft congressional map that hands the GOP a clear advantage in all nine House districts, a move that could give the party two more seats in the Hoosier State. However, the path to passage is still a political obstacle course.
The most dramatic shift comes in the two Democratic-held districts represented by Reps. Frank Mrvan and André Carson. Mapmakers sliced up Marion County, home to Indianapolis, into four pieces, weakening Democrats’ stronghold in the state’s largest population center.
The proposal tracks closely with President Donald Trump’s push for a full GOP sweep. Whether lawmakers can muscle it through is another matter.
State House Speaker Todd Huston insists his caucus has the votes. Speaker Mike Johnson amped up lawmakers over the weekend in what one person familiar with the call described as very “rah rah” as Republicans geared up for the fight.
The plan’s future in the state Senate is shakier. President Pro Tem Rodric Bray remains a holdout, brushing off pressure from the White House and national groups.
“It seems like the public is talking about this in terms of a binary choice: either 7-2 or redistricting and get 9-0,” Bray told POLITICO last month. “That is not clear at all to me, because we don’t know who’s going to run.”
The draft map drops after months of tug-of-war between Indiana officials and the White House, including two visits from Vice President JD Vance. The state House is expected to vote this week, with the Senate weighing the plan next week. Turning Point USA, one of the groups leading the charge for a redraw, will host a rally at the statehouse on Friday.
If Indiana signs off, it would become the fourth Republican-led state to overhaul its map ahead of the midterms. So far, the GOP has drawn lines in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri that could yield as many as nine new seats, though lawsuits remain.
A federal panel blocked Texas’ plan last month, but the Supreme Court is letting it stand while it reviews the case ahead of the state’s filing deadline.
Democrats have scored wins of their own. California’s Proposition 50 could hand the party five seats, and a court-ordered redraw in Utah is already underway. Utah’s Republican legislature plans to appeal.
In Virginia, Democrats have started the redistricting process and expect to continue early next year. Maryland and Illinois face pressure from within to follow suit, but internal resistance echoes Indiana’s standoff.
Republicans still have several states in play. Florida will take up the issue later this month, while Kansas and Kentucky could move in January. Efforts in Nebraska and New Hampshire have sputtered.
