Wildstyle Paschall (@wildstyledaproducer.threads.net.ap.brid.gy)

PHOTOS: Congressional redistricting bill fails in Indiana Senate **_DOUBLE_** _your impact for local news._ _Help us get 100 new members this week to unlock a**$2,500** match challenge! _ GIVE NOW On Indiana’s 209th birthday, state lawmakers voted down a redistricting bill that would have positioned Republicans to gain two additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Indiana Senate voted 31-19 against House Bill 1032, delivering a blow to President Donald Trump, who for months has been pressuring Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to give his party an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections. Protesters watching in the gallery erupted in applause after the vote was read aloud. Members of the Indiana Senate watch as votes are cast for the mid-cycle congressional redistricting bill Dec. 11, 2025, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Credit: Brett Phelps/Mirror Indy/CatchLight Local/Report for America ## Related ### PHOTOS: Congressional redistricting bill fails in Indiana Senate by Brett Phelps The new map would have split the city of Indianapolis into four districts, grouping parts of the city with large portions of rural Indiana. Three of the districts would stretch to the borders of nearby states. Most of the city now makes up one congressional district long held by Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson. Trump posted a lengthy rant on social media the night before the vote, calling out Indiana Senate President Rod Bray and other senators for going against his wishes. Trump has also promised to run primary challengers against Republicans who vote against redistricting, though Bray isn’t up for reelection until 2028. It’s rare to see controversial pieces of legislation decided by such a close margin. Republicans have a supermajority in both the House and Senate. Typically, if they don’t have the votes to get a bill passed, they decide behind closed doors not to call a bill down for a vote. Sen. Mike Gaskill (left) and Sen. Greg Walker speak as the Senate gathers to vote on mid-cycle congressional redistricting Dec. 11, 2025, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Credit: Brett Phelps/Mirror Indy/CatchLight Local/Report for America That didn’t happen this time around. Bray, reversing a previous commitment not to call the Senate back into session, brought his caucus back to the Statehouse this week after a number of lawmakers received threats to themselves and their family members. “The issue was causing a lot of strife, so we decided to come in and vet the issue, and we’ll vote on it and answer the question,” he told reporters earlier this week. The night before the vote, several more Indiana lawmakers were targeted in a bomb threat. ## A fractured caucus After the vote, Bray told reporters that while he would like to see Republicans gain more seats in the U.S. House, he and many of his GOP colleagues disagree on the best way to achieve that shared mission. “It really comes down to an issue of having the same goal but a different way to process that,” Bray said. “We want to make sure there’s a Republican majority in the U.S. House in 2026, but there’s a difference of opinion on how we get there.” Bray has said previously that he would rather see his party focus its energy and resources on getting a Republican elected in the first congressional district, which is represented by Rep. Frank Mrvan, a Democrat who represents northwest Indiana. Sen. Fady Qaddoura gestures a peace sign to spectators in the gallery after the Indiana Senate voted down the bill. Credit: Brett Phelps/Mirror Indy/CatchLight Local/Report for America A protester demonstrates against redistricting as the Senate gathers to vote. Credit: Brett Phelps/Mirror Indy/CatchLight Local/Report for America He said redistricting cannot be revisited in the 2026 legislative session because the legislature can’t bring back bills with similar language in the same session. Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican and close Trump ally, said there will be “political consequences” for GOP lawmakers who voted against redistricting. “I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers, Braun said in a statement, in part. Multiple Republican groups have threatened to support primary opponents of state senators who vote against redistricting. Turning Point Action pledged “congressional level spending” in state legislative races if the redistricting measure didn’t pass. ## How we got here Trump had asked Republican-led states to redistrict in the middle of the decade — an uncommon practice — in order to make more seats winnable for the GOP ahead of next year’s elections. Midterms tend to favor the party opposite the one in power, and Democrats are increasingly liking their odds at flipping control of the U.S. House after they fared well in recent high-profile elections. In addition to carving up Indy, the proposed map was also designed to eliminate Mrvan’s district. Nationally, mid-cycle redistricting so far has resulted in nine more congressional seats that Republicans believe they can win and six more congressional seats that Democrats think they can win. However, redistricting is being litigated in several states. Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina quickly enacted new GOP-favorable maps. California voters recently approved a new map in response to Texas’ that would favor Democratic candidates, and a judge in Utah imposed new districts that could allow Democrats to win a seat, after ruling that Republican lawmakers circumvented voter-approved anti-gerrymandering standards. _This story has been updated with additional information._ _The Associated Press contributed to this story._ _Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, isfunded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations._ _Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 [email protected]. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard._ I hope you appreciated reading this article. Gifts from readers like you make Mirror Indy’s journalism possible. Let’s keep informative, local independent journalism free for everyone in Indy. Now through Dec. 31 all donations are **matched dollar-for-dollar** , and any donations for **first-time donors are matched twice**. Give $25 Give $50 Give $20/month Community-powered journalism can't exist without you. **Please support our work today.** **Oseye Boyd** _Editor in Chief, Mirror Indy_ ### _Related_ Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Close window X ## Republish this article This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. _Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see ourrepublishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics._ # Redistricting bill dies in Indiana Senate by Peter Blanchard, Mirror Indy December 11, 2025 <h1>Redistricting bill dies in Indiana Senate</h1> <p class="byline">by Peter Blanchard, Mirror Indy <br />December 11, 2025</p> <p>On Indiana’s <a href="https://www.in.gov/ibc/legacyprojects/2996.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">209th birthday</a>, state lawmakers voted down a redistricting bill that would have positioned Republicans to gain two additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.</p> <p>The Indiana Senate voted 31-19 against House Bill 1032, delivering a blow to President Donald Trump, who for months has been pressuring Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to give his party an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.</p> <p>Protesters watching in the gallery erupted in applause after the vote was read aloud.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251211_Senate_BP_37-1024x612.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69403" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Members of the Indiana Senate watch as votes are cast for the mid-cycle congressional redistricting bill Dec. 11, 2025, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-group has-light-gray-background-color has-background" style="padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)"> </div> <p>The new map would have <a href="https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-redistricting-map-gerrymandering-indianapolis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">split the city of Indianapolis into four districts</a>, grouping parts of the city with large portions of rural Indiana. Three of the districts would stretch to the borders of nearby states. Most of the city now makes up one congressional district long held by Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson.</p> <p>Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115698333420423237" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posted a lengthy rant</a> on social media the night before the vote, calling out Indiana Senate President Rod Bray and other senators for going against his wishes. Trump has also promised to run primary challengers against Republicans who vote against redistricting, though Bray isn’t up for reelection until 2028.</p> <p>It’s rare to see controversial pieces of legislation decided by such a close margin. Republicans have a supermajority in both the House and Senate. Typically, if they don’t have the votes to get a bill passed, they decide behind closed doors not to call a bill down for a vote.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251211_Senate_BP_20-1024x679.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69387" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sen. Mike Gaskill (left) and Sen. Greg Walker speak as the Senate gathers to vote on mid-cycle congressional redistricting Dec. 11, 2025, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <p>That didn’t happen this time around.</p> <p>Bray, reversing a previous commitment not to call the Senate back into session, brought his caucus back to the Statehouse this week after a number of lawmakers <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/indiana-republicans-swatting-attacks-redistricting-rcna246689" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">received threats</a> to themselves and their family members.</p> <p>“The issue was causing a lot of strife, so we decided to come in and vet the issue, and we’ll vote on it and answer the question,” he told reporters earlier this week.</p> <p>The night before the vote, several more Indiana lawmakers were <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/11/indiana-lawmajer-ed-clere-receives-threat-before-senate-redistricting-vote/87711455007/?tbref=hp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">targeted in a bomb threat</a>.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-fractured-caucus">A fractured caucus</h2> <p>After the vote, Bray told reporters that while he would like to see Republicans gain more seats in the U.S. House, he and many of his GOP colleagues disagree on the best way to achieve that shared mission.</p> <p>“It really comes down to an issue of having the same goal but a different way to process that,” Bray said. “We want to make sure there’s a Republican majority in the U.S. House in 2026, but there’s a difference of opinion on how we get there.”</p> <p>Bray has said previously that he would rather see his party focus its energy and resources on getting a Republican elected in the first congressional district, which is represented by Rep. Frank Mrvan, a Democrat who represents northwest Indiana.</p> <div class="wp-block-columns"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DAY-REDISTRICTING-VOTE_BP022-1024x633.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-69373" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sen. Fady Qaddoura gestures a peace sign to spectators in the gallery after the Indiana Senate voted down the bill.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251211_Senate_BP_15-1024x630.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-69382" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A protester demonstrates against redistricting as the Senate gathers to vote.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <p>He said redistricting cannot be revisited in the 2026 legislative session because the legislature can’t bring back bills with similar language in the same session.</p> <p>Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican and close Trump ally, said there will be “political consequences” for GOP lawmakers who voted against redistricting.</p> <p>“I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers, Braun said in a statement, in part.</p> <p>Multiple Republican groups have threatened to support primary opponents of state senators who vote against redistricting. Turning Point Action pledged “congressional level spending” in state legislative races if the redistricting measure didn’t pass.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-we-got-here">How we got here</h2> <p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gerrymandering-tennessee-republicans-democrats-voters-26b87c1f529debb919677fd0e2328c81" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump had asked Republican-led states to redistrict</a> in the middle of the decade — an uncommon practice — in order to make more seats winnable for the GOP ahead of next year’s elections.</p> <p>Midterms tend to favor the party opposite the one in power, and Democrats are increasingly liking their odds at flipping control of the U.S. House after they fared well in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-mayor-trump-higgins-gonzalez-f0d8c55a4b97962ac1348c5a93295465" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent high-profile elections</a>.</p> <p>In addition to carving up Indy, the proposed map was also designed to eliminate Mrvan’s district.</p> <p>Nationally, mid-cycle redistricting so far has resulted in nine more congressional seats that Republicans believe they can win and six more congressional seats that Democrats think they can win. However, redistricting is being litigated in several states.</p> <p>Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina quickly enacted <a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-congress-trump-california-8033414da22c409a8419ffb385caf579" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new GOP-favorable maps</a>. California voters recently approved a new map in response to Texas’ that would favor Democratic candidates, and a judge in Utah imposed new districts that could allow Democrats to win a seat, after ruling that Republican lawmakers circumvented voter-approved anti-gerrymandering standards.</p> <p><em>This story has been updated with additional information.</em></p> <p><em>The Associated Press contributed to this story.</em></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-redistricting-bill-senate-vote/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://mirrorindy.org">Mirror Indy</a> and is republished here under a <a target="_blank" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=69333&ga4=G-X0R0QW371R" style="width:1px;height:1px;"><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: "https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-redistricting-bill-senate-vote/", urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id="parsely-cfg" src="//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js"></script></p> Copy to Clipboard 1 ## Local news delivered straight to your inbox Mirror Indy's free newsletters are your daily dose of community-focused news stories. * In the Mirror Daily: News you can use * Play List Weekly: Arts and culture Sign up By clicking Sign Up, you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms of Use. # Related Articles * PHOTOS: Congressional redistricting bill fails in Indiana Senate Date December 11, 2025 Author Brett Phelps * Photos: Congressional redistricting talks underway at Indiana Statehouse Date December 2, 2025 Author Doug McSchooler * Indiana House returning next week to address redistricting; Senate to join Dec. 8 Date November 26, 2025 Author Indiana Capital Chronicle https://mirrorindy.org/congressional-redistricting-bill-fails-indiana-senate-photos/