INDIANAPOLIS—Vice President JD Vance met with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and key legislative leaders on Aug. 7 to debate altering the state’s congressional districts earlier than subsequent yr’s midterm elections.
The closed-door convention on the Indiana Statehouse included Home Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Professional Tem Rodric Bray, each Republicans.
The assembly got here amid Republican-led states’ efforts to redraw their congressional maps to protect or enlarge the GOP’s slender majority within the U.S. Home of Representatives.
The occasion happened as Texas Republicans try to redraw their congressional map. Congressional maps are usually redrawn as soon as every decade, following the nation’s census.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot referred to as a particular session of the state Legislature to think about redistricting after being notified by the Division of Justice that 4 congressional districts in Houston and Dallas is likely to be unconstitutional as a consequence of “racial gerrymandering.”
The districts seem to group minority voters into “coalition districts,” the place no single racial group varieties a majority, which violates the Voting Rights Act, in accordance with the Division of Justice.
Some Texas Democratic lawmakers have pissed off the redistricting effort by leaving the state. That ensures that the Legislature can’t obtain a quorum, the minimal variety of lawmakers required to move laws.
For Indiana to think about redistricting, Braun must name a particular session of the state Legislature.
Republicans maintain a super-majority in each chambers, which would depart Democrats powerless to dam such a transfer as their Texas colleagues are doing.
State Sen. JD Ford, a Democrat, mentioned he anticipated the Legislature to maneuver ahead with the plan.
“My intestine tells me that in some unspecified time in the future, we’re going to be in a particular session to redraw these district strains,” Ford mentioned in televised remarks on Fox59.
Ford, who had taken half in a protest rally on the Statehouse on the day of the Vance assembly, added, “We would like individuals to know that our districts are usually not on the market.”
The governor issued a short assertion on social media after the assembly however declined to offer particulars or trace at an final result.
“It was nice to fulfill with @VP Vance in the present day. We mentioned a variety of points, and I used to be happy to spotlight a number of the nice issues taking place in Indiana,” Braun wrote.
Bray likewise declined to provide specifics of the assembly.
“I appreciated the chance to listen to from the Vice President on quite a lot of points, which we’ll proceed to speak by way of within the days forward,” Bray mentioned in a written assertion.
Huston didn’t touch upon the assembly.
Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.), one in every of two Democrats representing the state in Washington, mentioned the try was proof of the Trump administration’s failure to control successfully.
“They know that their solely hope to keep up management is to stress the Indiana Normal Meeting to violate the Indiana Structure and redistrict U.S. Home of Consultant seats mid-decade,” Mrvan mentioned in a Might 5 assertion.
Mrvan’s First Congressional District is rated “Doubtless Democrat” by election analysts on the Cook dinner Political Report. Mrvan’s benefit within the district fell from 16.2 p.c in 2020 to eight.5 p.c in 2024.
Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) represents the reliably Democratic Seventh Congressional District, which incorporates Indianapolis. Cook dinner charges the seat as “Stable Democrat.”
Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and Gavin Newsom of California, each Democrats, have mentioned they’re contemplating redistricting plans to counter the Republican effort.
Newsom mentioned on Aug. 4 that he plans to name a particular election to ask voters to permit the state Meeting to redraw district maps.
The Epoch Occasions discovered combined opinions in talking with lawmakers from these states.
New York Democratic state Sen. Jabari Brisport mentioned on Aug. 6 that he knew of no plans for “retaliatory redistricting” and mentioned he would wish time to think about the matter if Hochul did name for a particular session.
California Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat, mentioned her state was contemplating the matter.
“You struggle fireplace with fireplace,” Wilson instructed The Epoch Occasions on Aug. 6. “Texas is doing it—we are able to, too. Our management is saying that is on the desk.”
John Haughey contributed to this report.
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