How Indiana’s redistricting will affect Congress
Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer breaks down the tension between Indiana and the Trump administration over the state’s redistricting efforts.
Indiana’s Republican senators announced on November 28 that they will vote against the state’s redistricting efforts after President Donald Trump used a slur in a Thanksgiving social media post.
President Trump’s Nov. 27 Truth social post, one of a series of anti-immigrant comments posted Thursday, called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the “r-word.” The word was previously used in a medical context, but is now widely considered offensive and disability advocates are trying to stop its use.
“Those who don’t know me or my family may not know that my daughter has Down syndrome,” state Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, wrote on Facebook. “This is not the first time our president has made such insulting and derogatory statements, and his choice of words will have consequences.”
President Trump is asking several states, including Indiana, to redraw their congressional maps to create safer Republican districts for the 2026 midterm elections.
Redistricting in Indiana appeared to be dead in 2025 when Roderick Bray, president pro tempore of the state Senate, announced on November 14 that there were no votes to support redistricting in the state. But Mr. Bray reversed course on Nov. 25, saying the Senate would effectively vote on whatever proposal the House proposed.
The House is scheduled to convene Dec. 1 to discuss the new map, and the Senate is scheduled to vote on Dec. 8. Both chambers must pass a bill to send the bill to Gov. Mike Brown for it to be signed into law.
Bohacek, who had not previously made any public statements on redistricting, was one of 19 Republican senators who voted to reconvene in January rather than the December redistricting session.
Indiana’s redistricting dispute has drawn both President Trump’s ire and threats to local lawmakers in recent weeks.
Ryan Murphy is a community reporter for IndyStar. Contact her at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
