This isn’t a “Spike Lee Joint”. It is a shout out to the Indiana General Assembly. As has been widely reported, President Trump and his surrogates are pressuring the IGA to re-draw Indiana’s congressional districts. This is part of Trump’s national effort to ensure that Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives after next year’s mid-term elections.
Historically, the party that occupies the White House during mid-term elections tends to fare worse than the opposition party. This is true whether Democrats or Republicans are in power. Given the Republicans’ razor thin margin in the House, the president is concerned that just a few flipped seats would substantially hobble his agenda.
Indiana last drew its congressional district lines in 2021. They took effect in 2023, after the 2022 elections. Of the State’s nine congressional districts, seven are controlled by Republicans. Central Indiana’s André Carson and northern Indiana’s Frank Mrvan are the only Democrats. This party distribution already seems to be somewhat unbalanced.
The Hoosier state typically is referred to as “red”, but this is somewhat misleading. According to Indiana’s Secretary of State, there are roughly 4.8 million registered voters as of November 2024. While different sources report slightly different statistics, roughly 30% of Indiana voters are Republicans, while 25% are Democrats. Notably, 43% of registered voters are unaffiliated.
In other words, the most important group of voters in Indiana are not attached to either party.
Thus, based on these numbers, Indiana is more “purple” than is usually assumed. Further, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, only three million registered voters – 61% of the total – cast ballots in the 2024 general election. Sadly, this places Indiana in the bottom 10 of 50 of the nation’s states in terms of voter turnout.
But back to the IGA. Like several other legislative bodies in Republican-dominated states, the IGA has been mulling whether to redraw Indiana’s congressional districts to please the president. Other Republican-controlled states, such as Texas and Missouri, almost immediately caved to Mr. Trump’s demands. They were not willing to risk his wrath – not to mention that many of the legislators personally agree with his political agenda.
Initially, Governor Mike Braun publicly expressed hesitancy to go along with President Trump. It isn’t clear whether Braun’s reluctance was due to disagreement with the goal or whether he was uncertain about the chances of such a plan passing. (There has been a great deal of speculation regarding this point.)
In any case, the governor called for a special session of the IGA in order to have a vote on mid-cycle redistricting. However, the lawmakers have decided to meet from Dec. 1-12, as opposed to engaging in a special session. According to Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, fiscal considerations were a factor in that decision:
“Adjusting the 2026 legislative calendar is what makes the most sense when we consider member schedules, the logistics of legislative action and – most importantly – the costs to the taxpayer. Making this shift allows the legislature to consider the topics presented to us in a thoughtful way without burdening Hoosier taxpayers with the cost of a special session.”
According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the last time the IGA held a special session (in 2022), it lasted two weeks and cost roughly $240,000 in per-diem and travel expenses. As a fiscally conservative state, it was easy for lawmakers to make the argument that the costs outweighed the need to rush. For that reason, it is also an argument that the Governor is loathe to challenge.
For their part, IGA’s Democrats are placing the blame for the call to gerrymander the State’s congressional districts squarely on the shoulders of President Trump and Governor Braun. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder said:
“Let’s call this what it is: a mid-decade scheme to rig the maps, and the only reason this is even on the table is because Trump’s losing – and Governor Braun caved. (The Democrats) will be ready with bills to make housing more affordable, lower health care costs, expand childcare, and rein in utility hikes – because that’s what the people of Indiana actually need.”
For now, at least, it appears that Indiana lawmakers have placed the interests of Hoosiers above the desires of the president. That is something to cheer about.
