President Donald Trump's attempt to redraw U.S. House districts in a deep-red state just hit another roadblock, after one Republican state senator announced that Trump's use of a slur cost him his vote on the plan.
Politico reporter Adam Wren tweeted Friday that Indiana state senator Michael Bohacek (R) announced he would not be supporting Trump's mid-decade redistricting plan in the Hoosier State after he called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) "seriously retarded." The Republican lawmaker made the announcement on his official Facebook page, and said that as a parent of a child with Down Syndrome, he couldn't endorse Trump's plan due to his use of the word (which the Special Olympics considers a slur).
"I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter. Those of you that don’t know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down Syndrome," Bohacek wrote. "This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences. I will be voting NO on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority."
One of the senator's constituents commented on his post, writing: "No disrespect, I see where you’re coming from but it takes a semi personal attack on your family to make you stand up for what’s right? This feels more like it’s about your ego than doing the right thing."
"[N]o this is just the final straw," Bohacek responded.
Trump's call to redraw Indiana's maps to be more favorable to Republicans has consistently run aground, even with Republicans controlling 40 of 50 seats in the Indiana senate. Rodric Bray (R), who is president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate, said earlier this month that he didn't have the votes to get the new GOP-friendly maps across the finish line. This prompted Trump to attack Bray and pledge to endorse primary challengers against all Indiana Republicans who opposed his new maps.
The president's push to make U.S. House district maps more favorable to his party began in Texas, where Republicans have redrawn maps to give themselves an advantage in five previously Democratic districts. This led to California redrawing maps to be more favorable to Democrats in five districts across the Golden State, which voters approved earlier this month by overwhelmingly passing Prop 50.
