After our Statehouse’s courageous vote to reject mid-decade redistricting, Indiana has been in national headlines for all the right reasons:
“Trump was unable to insult his way to victory in Indiana redistricting battle,” reads one headline from AP News.
NBC News called the vote, “a major rebuke of Trump.”
I heard from countless Hoosiers who expressed joy, relief and pride. Republicans and Democrats alike came together to find common ground on our core values: fairness and decency, and we don’t like being told what to do by Washington.
To recap, Trump’s orders were to split Indianapolis into four separate congressional districts, so that the same Member of Congress representing Southern Indiana would also represent Indianapolis. Rural and urban areas would have to compete for the same limited resources with conflicting community goals. The proposed maps would have blatantly ripped apart Black neighborhoods – effectively eliminating the power of Black voters in the biggest threat to voting rights since Jim Crow.
But it didn’t work.
This scheme was soundly defeated in the Indiana Senate thanks to Democrats and Republicans who stood up together for what is right. Many Hoosiers are celebrating this victory, and rightfully so. The fight is far from over. But this victory is an example of the power of the people, bolstered by organizing efforts in collaboration with local organizations.
The pro-redistricting movement, on the other hand, was powered by out-of-state instigators. Hoosiers were bombarded with negative texts and threatening social media ads funded by national organizations.
Hoosier lawmakers received financial threats from D.C. to block federal funding to Indiana – even for non-partisan essentials like roads and infrastructure. Political threats came from D.C. insiders to support opposition in primaries. The worst were the personal and physical threats of violence against state leaders who didn’t fall in line.
Unfortunately, Black people are all too familiar with these kinds of threats. For generations, we’ve experienced threats against our jobs, our homes and often our lives – if we dared to step out of line and stand up for our rights.
Some people were surprised to see these same kinds of threats from Republican bullies against Republican Hoosiers. But as survivors of political terrorism, we know this is always about threatening harm for failing to surrender or diminish yourself to the oppressor’s brute strength.
On the other hand, we know that resistance is powerful once it’s been unleashed. And we saw the people’s power unleashed at the Indiana Statehouse, fueled by an amazing coalition of people of goodwill. We saw profiles in courage, and it was inspiring in these bitterly cynical times to see Hoosiers do the right thing.
It’s been a challenging year – we’ve watched life become even more unaffordable, health care costs skyrocketing, and our immigrant neighbors demonized, with families being torn apart without due process.
This administration has tried all year to eliminate DEI offices and civil rights protections. This month, a sitting Member of Congress and Trump acolyte, Representative Randy Fine from Florida, sat in an official hearing targeting “mainstream Muslims,” calling all Muslims “terrorists” that America needs to “destroy,” and insisting “diversity is not our strength.” These statements were reposted and celebrated. Texas’ governor tried to designate the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization, a move that is being challenged in the courts.
But perhaps this is truly a season of miracles, because as we suffer an increase of racist, violent rhetoric and policies, we also see the flourishing of kind, hardworking and compassionate people working together to fight for America.
The majority of Americans do not agree with Trump’s agenda – even if they voted for him. They are seeing broken promise after broken promise. Trump promised affordability – but Trump’s trade war has already cost the average family nearly $1,200 this year. Trump promised more jobs – but the U.S. economy lost 41,000 jobs in the last two months. Black unemployment is now twice as high as the rest of the country under Trump.
Redistricting was a test of the American people’s willingness to follow Trump blindly, despite what’s best for our state. It failed because Hoosiers did not lay down and accept defeat. Anyone who has dealt with bullies knows that once you give up your lunch money, it will never stop. Trump thought he could come into the Hoosier cafeteria and take our lunch money, but he and his crew left with a black eye.
Instead, thousands of Hoosiers called their state senators and state representatives. They spread the word on social media. They showed up to rallies. They sounded the alarm to friends and families.
Members of the Indiana Statehouse actually listened to the loud calls of their constituents. Senator Greg Goode, a Republican, held a town hall in his district, where the feedback was unanimous: no new districts. Senator Jean Leising is also a Republican and also cited hearing from “hundreds of constituents” as part of her reasoning to vote against redistricting.
One of the most common questions I’ve heard this year has been, “What can I do?”
My answer: Don’t ever stop speaking up. Don’t stop fighting. Don’t stop calling your elected officials when you think something is unfair or unjust.
The defeat of unfair redistricting in Indiana is proof this works.
U.S. Rep. Andre Carson represents the 7th district of Indiana. Contact Rep. Carson at carson.house.gov/contact.
