The Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill 57-41 Friday that would allow the General Assembly to establish new congressional districts mid-decade.
House Bill 1032 now heads to the Indiana Senate. President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, previously said Nov. 14 the Senate did not have enough votes to move Indiana redistricting forward.
After pressure from the White House, including a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump where he said Republicans who vote against redistricting should be primaried, Bray said Nov. 25 the Senate would reconvene in December to consider any redistricting proposal the House sent.
Marion County, home to Indianapolis, would be split into four congressional districts, some of which stretch to the Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky borders, under a proposed map. District 1, in the northwest portion of the state, would be split to include more counties from the north central area of the state.
The move could make it easier for Republican candidates to unseat both Democratic Reps. André Carson and Frank Mrvan and help Republicans gain two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Similar efforts to redistrict are underway across the country, including maps that have already been enacted in Texas, California and Ohio.
All of Monroe County would move from the Ninth District to the Eighth, which covers the southwest portion of Indiana.
Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, voted against the bill. In a statement, he said the vote was the “saddest day I have ever experienced in the Indiana House of Representatives.”
“This erasure of Democratic members of Congress and the voices of their constituents will delegitimize Congress,” he said in the statement. “People are already frustrated with the state and federal governments' failure to address the real problems they face. Today's action will make them feel more cynical about their government and undermine their confidence in our democracy.”
Republican Rep. Dave Hall, who represents part of Monroe County, broke from party lines and voted no. Hall previously declined to comment on redistricting at a September Indiana University GOP meeting.
Rep. Peggy Mayfield, a Republican who represents part of Monroe County, also voted no. Rep. Bob Heaton also represents part of Monroe County and voted to pass the bill.
Over a dozen Indiana lawmakers, including those who openly support and oppose redistricting, have received bomb or death threats and swatting attempts following Bray’s announcement Nov. 14.
Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, denounced the bill in a statement.
“This bill tears apart communities, strips voters of representation they voted for and hands control to national figures who are more interested in cementing absolute power rather than solving any problems,” Yoder wrote.
The Senate will meet Monday to decide on the proposal. Gov. Mike Braun urged Senators in an X post Friday to move quickly to adopt the new map.
