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By Kate Plummer and Gabe Whisnant
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The Indiana Senate has rejected a vote to redistrict the state, despite President Donald Trump's wishes.
Twenty-one members of the Republican supermajority and all 10 Democrats in the chamber voted against the redistricting proposal, which was expected to give the GOP two more seats in the state.
Later Thursday, Trump said it “would have been nice” if the Indiana Senate had moved forward with redistricting but claimed he “wasn’t working on it very hard” after lawmakers declined to act.
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Trump’s comments came despite his direct involvement in pushing the plan. He personally lobbied Republican state senators and posted on social media urging them to support redistricting, warning he would back primary challengers against lawmakers who opposed it.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he would support any candidate who challenges the state Senate president, Rodric Bray, in next year’s election.
Why It Matters
There has been a national redistricting fight in which Republicans and Democrats have attempted to draw new state maps to influence the results of future elections.
Redistricting could have a major impact on upcoming elections, including the November 2026 midterms, which will affect the balance of power in Congress and, in turn, Trump's ability to carry out his agenda. Republicans have a narrow majority of 219 to 214 in the House of Representatives, which will narrow further when Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resigns in January. So, every seat matters.
Meanwhile, going against Trump reveals the limits of his influence as he seeks to persuade Republicans across the country to implement his wishes.
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What To Know
Trump had spoken out in favor of redistricting in Indiana and Bray over his reluctance to pass the plan.
The map cleared the Indiana House earlier this month with a 57-41 vote. It remapped Indianapolis into four districts to help Republicans win more seats. Then, in a Senate committee on Monday, the legislation passed in a 6-3 vote with only one Republican voting against it.
However, senators ultimately voted against it on Thursday, putting a kibosh on the plans.
Republican Sen. Greg Goode, who had previously been undecided, signaled his opposition to the redistricting plan. In firm remarks on the Senate floor, he said some constituents objected to having their county split or linked to Indianapolis. He emphasized his “love” for Donald Trump but criticized what he described as “over-the-top pressure” from inside and outside Indiana.
Sen. Michael Young, also a Republican, argued that the stakes in Congress warranted aggressive redistricting, noting that Democrats are only a few seats away from retaking control of the U.S. House in 2026. “I know this election is going to be very close,” he said.
Republican Sen. Mike Gaskill, the sponsor of the redistricting bill, displayed maps of congressional districts from around the country—highlighting Democratic-held seats in New England and Illinois—to argue that other states gerrymander and that Indiana Republicans should operate under the same political realities.
Earlier this month, Indiana State Senator Mike Bohacek announced his family "received threats of a bomb placed at our home" after the Republican lawmaker recently broke with Trump on redistricting efforts.
"This recent pattern of threatening behavior and intimidation attempts are not only concerning, but also illegal. I hope to see justice for this type of behavior," he said in a statement.
Other redistricting efforts have favored the Democrats. On November 4, California voters passed Proposition 50, an amendment put forth by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in response to Texas's redistricting efforts. The proposition would temporarily revise the state's congressional map, a move expected to boost Democrats in future elections.
But the GOP has seen success in Texas. The U.S. Supreme Court this week allowed Texas to proceed with its new congressional map after ruling against a freeze on its use imposed by a lower appellate court.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Wednesday on Truth Social: "If Republicans will not do what is necessary to save our Country, they will eventually lose everything to the Democrats."
“Every other State has done Redistricting,” Trump wrote, claiming Indiana is the lone outlier because Bray “enjoys being the only person… who is against Republicans picking up extra seats.”
Democratic state Senator Fady Qaddoura said Thursday, “Competition is healthy my friends. Any political party on earth that cannot run and win based on the merits of its ideas is unworthy of governing.”
Indiana state Senator Mike Gaskill, a Pendleton Republican, declared on Thursday that a "second civil war has already started" in the United States, as he urged his colleagues to back the state redistricting push: "I will submit to you that the Second US Civil War has already started. They're just using surrogates. The Indiana state senator added, "I submit to you that that's accurate."
Indiana Republican Spencer Deery said, “The federal government should not dictate by threat or other means what should happen in our states."
What Happens Next
While redistricting has failed in Indiana for now, other efforts to redistrict states like Virginia and Maryland are ongoing, in what could shake up the political terrain ahead of the November 2026 midterms.
Updates: 12/11/25, 5 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 12/11/25, 6 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 12/11/25, 7:33 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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