Twenty-one Republican senators joined Democrats to defeat a measure that would have given the party two more U.S. House seats.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Indiana Senate on Dec. 11 voted 19–31 to reject a bill that would have redrawn the state’s U.S. House districts in advance of the 2026 elections, delivering a significant setback to President Donald Trump’s push for expanded Republican representation in Congress.
Despite holding a two-thirds majority, 21 Republican senators sided with Democrats to defeat the measure, citing concerns about partisanship and potential legal challenges.
“Today, the Indiana Senate casts a vote of epic proportion,” Sen. Chris Garten, the chamber’s majority floor leader, wrote on X before the vote. “Why should Indiana fight with one hand tied behind its back? I’m voting YES to send reinforcements to Washington. I’m voting YES for a 9–0 delegation that reflects Hoosier values.”
The Indiana Democratic Party praised the bill’s defeat, accusing Republicans of attempting to “ram through” an unpopular plan. “When the time came, remember that Republicans sided with their D.C. Party bosses over their own constituents,” the party wrote on X.
The state’s House of Representatives had passed the redistricting bill on Dec. 5, after weeks of lobbying from Trump, who personally urged Indiana lawmakers to approve the measure.
Trump criticized Indiana Senate Leader Rod Bray on Truth Social, accusing him of undermining national Republican gains. “Indiana Senate ‘Leader’ Rod Bray enjoys being the only person in the United States of America who is against Republicans picking up extra seats,” Trump wrote. “He is putting every ounce of his limited strength into asking his soon to be very vulnerable friends to vote with him.”
Some Republican senators pushed back, citing Trump’s rhetoric as counterproductive. “I will be voting NO on redistricting,” Sen. Michael Bohacek wrote on Facebook, calling Trump’s remarks “insulting and derogatory.”
The failed bill is the latest in a string of partisan redistricting battles across the country, as both parties seek to secure advantages in the 2026 U.S. House elections.
Original article
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