Indiana House Approves New Congressional Map; GOP Seizes Control Ahead of Midterm Elections

Indianapolis, IN — The Indiana House of Representatives took a significant step this week when it approved a new congressional redistricting map by a 57-41 vote. This proposal, if passed by the Senate, could potentially give the Republican Party two more seats in the U.S. House for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

The map was drawn under pressure from President Donald Trump and Governor Mike Braun, with Representative Ben Smaltz stating it was designed to benefit GOP candidates.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray indicated that there might not be enough support in his chamber for this particular plan. However, he later announced the Senate would consider any final redistricting proposals submitted by the House once they reconvene next week.

The new map aims to redraw boundaries around nine Democratic districts across the state, possibly enabling Republicans to secure all of Indiana’s congressional seats.

This move comes just days after a similar strategy unfolded in Texas. The Supreme Court allowed an emergency request there to block a federal court ruling that deemed their previous map unconstitutional due to racial bias concerns.

Meanwhile, states led by Democrats are preparing counter-strategies against the GOP’s redistricting push. California voters have recently approved measures suspending their independent redistricting commission for this cycle, which would result in maps likely dominated by state leaders and possibly increase Democratic representation significantly. Other Democrat-led states like Virginia and Maryland are examining options to override or influence future commission decisions.

State Representative Ben Smaltz maintains the map was drawn purely with political motives, aiming to boost Republican chances of winning safe districts for their candidates ahead of what he anticipates will be a challenging election cycle.

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