Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) on Thursday sharply criticized a bloc of Republican state senators who joined Democrats to defeat a GOP-backed redistricting proposal—an effort supported by President Donald Trump. Braun said he will actively assist Trump in backing primary challengers against lawmakers who, in his view, sided against fairer maps and against the interests of Indiana conservatives.
“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,” Braun said in a post on X.
“I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers,” he added.
Redistricting Bill Fails Despite Republican Majority
The Indiana Senate rejected the proposed mid-cycle redistricting plan in a 19–31 vote, with more Republicans voting against the measure than for it. The bill sought to strengthen GOP representation by adjusting district lines to reflect population changes—an approach Trump has pushed in multiple states as Democrats continue to deploy aggressive legal and political strategies to secure map advantages nationwide.
Following the vote, Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz blasted the dissenting Republicans. “We’ll be launching primary challenges against every last traitor who voted no, effective immediately! Pack your bags, your time is up!” he wrote on X.
Some Republican lawmakers defended their decision. State Sen. Spencer Deery (R) argued the proposal conflicted with his conservative philosophy of stable governance.
“Make no mistake, I, like many of those who will join me in voting no today, are constitutional fiscal and religious conservatives,” Deery said. “My point is that my opposition to mid-cycle gerrymandering is not in contrast with my conservative principles. My opposition is driven by them.”
Trump Names Names
Trump directly criticized several figures he sees as obstructing the GOP’s ability to compete more effectively, including former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and strategist Cam Savage.
“They found some Republican ‘SUCKERS,’ and they couldn’t be happier that they did! Guys like Failed Senate Candidate Mitch Daniels, who I opposed in his Race against Senator Jim Banks, and Cam Savage, whoever that is, are fighting against the Republican Party, all the way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of the vote.
He also singled out Indiana Senate Leader Rod Bray (R) for failing to rally Republican support.
“Bray and his friends are the favorite Republicans of [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries], Crazy Nancy Pelosi, and Cryin’ Chuck Schumer. Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring,” Trump said.
National Context: A Broader Redistricting Fight
Indiana’s internal GOP clash comes amid a broader national battle over congressional maps, where Democrats have aggressively leveraged courts and commissions to secure more favorable districts:
- New York: Democrats redrew maps to target several GOP-held seats after the state’s high court allowed a do-over, boosting Democratic recruitment in key suburban districts.
- North Carolina: Republicans successfully redrew districts after a conservative shift in the state Supreme Court, likely netting the GOP multiple additional U.S. House seats.
- Alabama & Louisiana: Federal courts forced both states to create additional majority-Black districts, likely giving Democrats two more congressional seats in 2024 and beyond.
- Wisconsin: A liberal state Supreme Court struck down longstanding legislative maps, creating uncertainty heading into 2025 and potentially benefiting Democrats.
- Georgia: The state drew new maps after a court ruling, but Republicans managed to preserve their overall advantage.
In this landscape, conservatives argue that refusing to strengthen GOP maps—especially in red states—amounts to unilateral disarmament. That argument underpins Trump’s pressure campaign in Indiana, where he insists the party must use every legal tool available to secure representation that reflects the electorate.
A Turning Point for Indiana Republicans?
With Trump and Braun both committing to fund and endorse primary challengers, several Indiana state senators could soon face serious political consequences. For Trump-aligned voters and officials, the vote represents a missed opportunity to counter Democrats’ redistricting gains nationwide. For the GOP lawmakers who opposed the measure, it is a stand for what they call principled conservatism.
