Under pressure from the Trump administration and conservative influencers, Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun announced Monday he will open a special legislative session to vote on whether to conduct a mid-decade gerrymander of his state’s districts to shore up Republicans’ electoral chances ahead of next year’s midterms.
Although the Trump administration kicked off the mid-decade redistricting race when it pressured Texas to find five more seats for Republicans, Braun’s announcement falsely casts the potential gerrymander in Indiana as a responsive effort “to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair.”
After Texas signed off on racist maps that water down Black and Latino voting power, California Democrats responded by putting a ballot measure before its voters that, if approved, would permit redistricting that would give Democrats an advantage. After Missouri and North Carolina distorted their maps, Democrats in Virginia and Maryland have signaled interest in redrawing their maps, as well, to combat the Trump administration’s power grab.
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.
— Governor Mike Braun (@GovBraun) October 27, 2025
I am also asking the legislature to conform Indiana's tax code with new federal tax… pic.twitter.com/WXFrIqRQPH
Despite direct pressure from President Donald Trump and multiple trips to the state by Vice President JD Vance, some Indiana Republicans are reluctant to carve up the congressional districts. After Braun’s statement, the state Senate leader said Republicans still don’t have the votes, according to Politico reporter Adam Wren, who suggested last week that there are signs some fence-riders could come around.
Braun’s announcement comes amid an ongoing pressure campaign from conservative influencers, who in some cases have promoted circulating the names, phone numbers and email addresses of the holdouts on the assumption that outraged messages will spur these lawmakers to get on board.
Braun previously issued vague warnings of “consequences” and the potential to miss out on “benefits” if legislators don’t comply with the Trump administration’s effort to help Republicans keep the House next November — a result that would allow his party to continue shielding the president and his administration from congressional checks and balances.








