Dec. 8 (UPI) — An Indiana Senate panel on Monday approved legislation to redraw congressional district maps that are expected to give Republicans two additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Republicans in the heavily GOP-majority state introduced House Bill 1032 early this month amid accusations of a gerrymandering arms race kicked off by Texas this summer at the urging of President Donald Trump. Republicans are seeking to maintain control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections, as several Democratic-led states work to redraw their congressional district maps.
Indiana has nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, seven of which are currently filled by Republicans. The redraw map is expected to favor the GOP in all nine seats.
The Indiana Senate’s Elections Committee on Monday approved the H.B. 1032 by a 6-3 vote, sending it to the full Senate for consideration.
The Indiana State House passed the bill Friday in a 57-41 vote.
America First Works, a nonprofit organization founded to promote the America First Policy Institute think tank, celebrated the Elections Committee for passing the congressional map.
“THANK YOU to the six patriot Senators who put Indiana first tonight!” it said on X.
“Let’s get this fully passed and onto @GovBraun’s desk!”
The vote on Monday came nearly a month after Indiana Republican senators were initially against putting forward this bill.
While acknowledging that they wanted to see a Republican-held House in 2026, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said they didn’t want to see it through redistricting.
“We would rather support efforts to elect a Republican in the existing 1st Congressional District, which has been trending Republican for the last several years and would give President Trump another Republican in Congress,” he said in a statement.
Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican who had called for a special session to pass the maps after speaking with Trump, called on Indiana State senators “to do the right thing and show up to vote for fair maps.”
“I called for our legislators to convene to ensure Hoosiers’ voices in Washington, D.C., are not diluted by the Democrats’ gerrymandering,” he said on X.
“Hoosiers deserve to know where their elected officials stand on important issues.”
Trump, on Truth Social, said he would “strongly endorse” anyone who runs against an Indiana state politician who stands in the way of redrawing the maps.
“Democrats are trying to steal our seats everywhere, and we’re not going to let this happen!” the president said in the statement.
The gerrymandering arms race comes ahead of next year’s midterm elections, which historically have disfavored the president’s party. Republicans currently hold the presidency, House and Senate.
Republicans maintain a 220-213 majority of the House, with two vacancies.
At Trump’s urging, Texas Republicans moved this summer to redraw their maps, mid-decade, to gain advantage in five districts. California responded, seeking to do the same to gain five additional Democrat seats to neutralize Republicans in Texas.
Since then, several states have sought to redraw their maps. Litigation, in many cases, has followed.
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas may use its maps.
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