Deep-red state officially slams door on Trump's demand for GOP-friendly districts

President Donald Trump's pathway to redistricting congressional district maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to make conditions for Republicans more favorable will have to go forward without one solidly red state.

That's according to Indiana Capital-Chronicle editor-in-chief Niki Kelly, who reported Friday that Indiana's Senate Republican Caucus was not able to secure enough votes to pass a Republican-friendly U.S. House district map. Indiana Senate President pro tempore Rodric Bray told Kelly that "there are not enough votes for redistricting and the Senate will not convene in December."

Ballotpedia data shows that Republicans control 40 of 50 seats in the Indiana senate, meaning the GOP only needs 26 votes to approve new maps. However, Bray's remarks suggest that there are at least 16 Republicans who will vote with the senate's 10 Democrats against mid-decade redistricting.

Kelly further reported that Gov. Mike Braun (R) was "not happy," and posted a statement from the governor that read: "Our state senators need to do the right thing and show up to vote for fair maps. Hoosiers deserve to know where their elected officials stand on important issues." Indiana currently has just two Democrats out of nine districts, and GOP lawmakers had hoped to erase one of those two Democratic seats. As of the 2024 election, roughly 40 percent of Indiana residents voted for the Democratic ticket. This means that proportionally, Indiana Democrats would be represented in three of nine districts.

Bray's failure to corral enough GOP support for the new maps hasn't gone unnoticed by Republican operatives. Marty Obst, who runs the organization Fair Maps Indiana that is pushing for mid-decade redistricting, told Kelly: "It's a shame Senator Bray blocked the Special Session. It's clear he does not support President Trump's agenda."

"Like elections, decisions have consequences," he stated. "I anticipate those consequences to be severe."

In addition to Indiana, Trump has struck out in New Hampshire, where the state's Republican trifecta government has still failed to pass a GOP-friendly redistricting map. Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) told Politico in August: "When I talk to people in New Hampshire ... it’s not on the top of their priority list."