Earlier this year, Donald Trump put out an order to GOP governors to gerrymander their maps to give the GOP a better chance of holding the House in 2026.
Several governors answered the call, most notably the one in Texas, while others have had problems getting state legislators on board with the mandate.
One of those states in which there has been resistance, Indiana, failed to pass new maps in its Senate, and now lines are being drawn that will dramatically impact both federal and state elections.
Indiana’s governor, Mike Braun, answered the call from Trump, but not everyone in the GOP caucus in his state was as enthusiastic about blatantly gerrymandering maps in the middle of a decade, which is seldom done (maps are typically redrawn after a census every 10 years). The resistance may also have stemmed from the fact that we are only talking about changing one seat in Congress. That may have led some to wonder whether the potential baggage that comes with gerrymandering was truly worth it.
Braun called a special session to redraw the state's maps, hoping he could get legislators to buy into the idea of redrawing the boundaries as requested by Trump.
At the time, Braun stated, “I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair.”
There was reluctance on the part of some Republicans, and Democrats immediately pushed back. For instance, Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN), who holds the seat that would likely be flipped to the GOP, responded, “I believe that representation should be earned through ideas and service, not political manipulation.”
This week, the bill to redraw the maps went to the floor of the Indiana state Senate, and it was overwhelmingly rejected.
The measure failed by a vote of 19-31, breaking the golden rule of only putting a bill on the floor that can be passed. Republicans hold 40 seats, and they knew they did not have the numbers, so the only real reason to put this measure on the floor was to identify the members on record who did not want to gerrymander that seat.
Trump has already put a target on Indiana House Speaker Rod Bray, a Republican, as well as anyone voting against the measure, saying he will primary them in the upcoming cycle. Honestly, I think people are sick and tired of being told by Trump to fall in line or face elimination in a primary.
All Trump is doing by pushing that narrative is proving Democrats right who say he is an authoritarian. Trust me, all these threats from Trump will be used against the GOP in the upcoming election cycle. It is just a bad way to go about business.
Now, Braun is following suit, announcing that he will help primary everyone in the state legislature who did not support the new maps.
Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz announced, “We’ll be launching primary challenges against every last traitor who voted no, effective immediately! Pack your bags, your time is up!”
Braun then responded, “I am very disappointed that a small group of misguided State Senators have partnered with Democrats to reject this opportunity to protect Hoosiers with fair maps and to reject the leadership of President Trump. Ultimately, decisions like this carry political consequences. I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers.”
Now, before you blow me up for calling Trump out over this, consider something… as I stated above, this is all over one seat in a broader election that the GOP is likely to lose anyway. Republicans appear willing to blow up an entire state legislature that they dominate because lawmakers do not want to gerrymander the maps, a tactic for which we have endlessly criticized those on the left. This, to me, is a very foolish move, and it is going to destroy the Republican Party and make it completely powerless in terms of being able to stop Democrats.
