By Tom Davies, Indiana Capital Chronicle
Sen. Blake Doriot announces opposition to new maps
Republican Indiana legislative leaders avoided taking questions Monday about the political pressure they are facing from President Donald Trump over congressional redistricting, while the governor accused GOP senators of “hiding behind closed doors.”
Gov. Mike Braun spoke Monday morning with Trump, a day after the president called out Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray for Friday’s announcement that too few Senate Republicans supported redistricting and that the Senate would not convene Dec. 1, as planned.
Trump also had questioned Braun’s efforts.
At least some Republican senators have been invited to the White House to talk about redistricting in the coming days in an attempt to boost support for Trump’s wish for GOP-led states to squeeze out more Republican-friendly congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Braun posted to social media that he “had a great call with President Trump! I told him I remain committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress.”
Braun’s post did not address the criticism he faced from Trump, who said Braun “is not working the way he should to get the necessary Votes.”
Pressure continues for December session
The Indiana House and Senate are both scheduled to meet Tuesday for their annual Organization Day. The gathering is typically a low-key day of formalities in preparation for the start of the legislative session in early January.
With enough House Republicans believed to support redistricting for redrawn maps to clear the chamber, House Speaker Todd Huston had announced plans for a two-week meeting in December.
Bray’s Friday announcement seemingly put the brakes on any redistricting action, but Braun and other Trump allies are continuing to lean on lawmakers.
“Indiana’s State Legislators must show up for work and take a public vote for fair maps to counter the gerrymandering in California and Illinois,” Braun’s post said. “But the Indiana State Senate is hiding behind closed doors and refusing to even bring redistricting to a vote. Hoosiers deserve to know where their legislators stand and expect them to show up for work, not walk out and hide in the dark.”
Bray and Huston both took part in a Monday panel session sponsored by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce as a preview of the upcoming session.
They did not discuss the redistricting controversy during the hourlong program — and both quickly left without talking with reporters and TV news crews who followed them.
During the program, Bray referred in passing to redistricting as he said, “This is a strange build up to the legislative session.” Bray later indicated he was sticking by the Senate’s plan of not meeting in December by saying: “It’s our anticipation, as I said last week, that we’re going to come in January 5th.”
The offices of Bray and Huston did not reply to questions from the Indiana Capital Chronicle Monday.
Trump raised a blatant political threat in a social media post Monday in which he said he “will be strongly endorsing against any State Senator or House member from the Great State of Indiana that votes against the Republican Party, and our Nation, by not allowing for Redistricting for Congressional seats in the United States House of Representatives as every other State in our Nation is doing, Republican or Democrat.”
GOP senators called to White House again
Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, said he would not be joining other Republican senators on the upcoming White House trip.
“I’m not going. Too much going on in Indiana right now,” he said, noting it’s the second or third time they have invited folks to D.C. recently. “It doesn’t fit my schedule right now.”
Niemeyer is one of five Senate Republicans targeted by a post circulating on various social media sites. It’s not clear why the five were chosen since there are 19 who haven’t gone on record with their stance. Additionally, there are eight who have come out against drawing new maps.
“I haven’t heard a lot of comments personally. I guess there’s stuff on Facebook,” Niemeyer said. “I don’t do much Facebook, OK, but personally, I haven’t heard a whole lot from my constituents, a little bit.”
Niemeyer said it doesn’t make sense to say whether he will vote in support or against a redistricting plan because “right now, we don’t even have a bill.”
“People say, ‘How you going to vote?’” he said. “Well, I’m going to vote when I see what I need to look at and I’m ready to vote, but there’s nothing there right now.”
Another senator being targeted online is Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Syracuse. He was noncommittal on the topic until Monday afternoon.
“I have long been a Trump supporter, and I want President Trump to continue to be successful with a Republican-led House so he can continue fixing our woke colleges, fighting illegal immigration and crime, and encouraging us to speak about our great nation and be proud of who we are as Americans – not apologize for it,” he said.
“In Indiana, redrawing our Congressional maps mid-cycle is not the best way for us to do that. Spreading out all of the Democrats in Lake and Marion counties across the rest of our districts will in no way guarantee a 9-0 map. There are no well-established Republican candidates working those hypothetical districts – they haven’t walked a parade, haven’t raised a dollar, and there will likely first be a primary race before we even get to the General Election.”
Doriot added that the best way to help the president is to focus on flipping the 1st Congressional District, which has trended toward Republicans in recent elections.
Trump started the national redistricting fight by pushing Texas Republicans to redraw its congressional map this summer. The pressure on Indiana Republicans has included two trips by Vice President JD Vance to Indianapolis.
Redistricting supporters wanted Indiana lawmakers to craft a map with all nine of the state’s congressional districts favoring Republicans based on 2020 census data.
The current congressional maps drawn by Republicans in 2021 maintained a 7-2 GOP majority — with Democrat Frank Mrvan holding the 1st District in northwest Indiana and Democrat Andre Carson holding the 7th District, which covers much of Indianapolis.
When asked Monday about Braun’s criticism of Republican senators, Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, told reporters that the mid-decade redistricting request “was unprecedented.”
“Folks took several long months to listen to their constituents and again and again and again Hoosiers made their voices very loud and very clear,” Yoder said. “They do not want their congressional maps redrawn — across the board, every poll. This wasn’t a party thing. This was Hoosiers saying ‘We are a state that doesn’t cheat. We are a state that abides by the rules.’”
Swatting of senator’s home denounced
Trump’s Sunday post also specially called out Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, as a redistricting opponent — even though Goode hasn’t stated his position. He held a Nov. 1 town hall in his district, during which dozens of people spoke against redistricting and none in favor.
Hours after Trump’s post, Goode was the victim of swatting when someone called police and made a false report of a “domestic violence emergency” at his home, according to the senator.
Goode was elected by a Republican Party caucus in late 2023 to complete the term of Sen. Jon Ford, who resigned. Goode, whose seat is up for election next year, is the state director for U.S. Sen. Todd Young, who did not endorse Trump’s presidential run last year.
In a social media post Monday, Young called the swatting incident “shameful and cowardly.”
“This was a serious situation, and I am grateful that no one was injured and for the professionalism of law enforcement,” Young’s post said. “This incident is not representative of the millions of Hoosiers who love their neighbors and resolve policy disagreements in a civil manner. Let’s remember the spirit of Hoosier hospitality as our state policymakers meet in the days ahead.”
Editor Niki Kelly contributed.
