Governor Mike Braun is weighing whether to call a special legislative session to revisit Indiana’s congressional district maps, following public pressure from former President Donald Trump and a coordinated national GOP effort to solidify Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The potential redistricting effort comes despite no legal or demographic requirement to redraw Indiana’s maps before the 2030 Census. Trump has urged Republican governors across the country to consider redrawing lines now to increase GOP representation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Indiana currently has seven Republicans and two Democrats in its nine-member U.S. House delegation.
Vice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to visit Indianapolis on Thursday to discuss redistricting and meet with state leaders. While Governor Braun has not formally announced a decision, he did not rule out the possibility of a special session when asked during a media availability on Tuesday.
Democrats swiftly criticized the proposal, calling it an effort to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts for political advantage.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) accused Trump and Vance of attempting to manipulate the electoral process.
“President Trump is clearly running scared,” Pierce said. “He fears the voters who are rejecting his unpopular policies… and now I hear he wants to put a 250% tax on many prescription drugs. No wonder he wants to thwart the will of the people by rigging the next election.”
Pierce said the current Republican control of seven out of nine congressional seats already reflects a heavily gerrymandered map and suggested that further changes would be an overt attempt to suppress competitive races.
“You have to be pretty desperate to decide that having seven of the nine seats in Indiana held by Republicans is not enough,” he said.
Pierce also criticized what he described as a lack of transparency in the process and questioned whether state leaders would stand up to federal political pressure.
“The question is, will Gov. Braun and the leaders of the General Assembly go along with it?” Pierce asked. “Will they put the interests of Hoosiers before the Congressional Republicans or cave to the demands of President Trump?”
Indiana’s last redistricting occurred in 2021 and was widely criticized by nonpartisan analysts and voting rights groups for heavily favoring Republican candidates. Those maps were drawn and passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly with limited public input.
Any attempt to redraw the maps again would likely face legal challenges and renewed scrutiny from watchdog organizations and voting advocacy groups.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said no decision has been made at this time regarding a special session.
Vice President Vance’s visit on Thursday is expected to include closed-door meetings with legislative leadership and party officials.
This is a developing story. Indy Politics will provide updates as more information becomes available.
