Indiana House Republicans on Monday reportedly released a draft congressional map that could hand the GOP two more U.S. House seats, delivering the kind of sweeping advantage President Donald Trump and national Republicans have been demanding ahead of the 2026 midterms. But despite the bold proposal, its fate in the state Senate remains uncertain.
The new map targets two Democratic-held districts: Rep. Frank Mrvan’s 1st District in northwest Indiana and Rep. André Carson’s Indianapolis-based 7th District. Both seats would shift dramatically toward Republicans under the House GOP plan. According to Dave’s Redistricting, Mrvan’s district — which split evenly between Trump and Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential vote — would become a Trump +12 seat. Carson’s overwhelmingly Democratic district, which supported Harris by roughly 42 points, would be redrawn into a Trump +19 district.
Such a shift would effectively eliminate Democrats’ foothold in Indiana, creating the 9–0 Republican congressional map that Trump and his allies have been publicly urging state lawmakers to adopt.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston said last week that all legislative business, including redistricting, would be considered when the legislature convened Monday. Huston claims his caucus has the votes to advance the new map.
But resistance remains strong in the upper chamber. Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray has signaled both interest and reluctance in recent weeks. Though Bray announced the Senate would reconvene in December to make a “final decision” on any House proposal, several Senate Republicans have openly opposed redrawing the map so soon after the once-a-decade process completed in 2021.
Some Senate Republicans went so far as to reject invitations from the White House, signaling they won’t bend to national pressure. One senator stated over the weekend that he had “no intention” of supporting new maps, while another made clear he opposed any redistricting effort regardless of lobbying from Trump or congressional leaders.
The stakes are high. National Republicans — led by Speaker Mike Johnson, who reportedly met virtually with Indiana House Republicans over the weekend — view Indiana as the easiest state to maximize GOP gains ahead of what looks to be a challenging 2026 election cycle. Trump and his inner circle have also leaned heavily on Indiana lawmakers, warning that Republicans who block the map could face primary challengers backed by MAGA forces.
For Trump and Washington Republicans, engineering a 9–0 Indiana map is part of a broader strategy to build structural advantages before an unpredictable midterm year. For Senate Republicans skeptical of reopening the redistricting process, the risk lies in appearing to manipulate district lines solely for political gain — a move they fear could spark voter backlash or legal challenges.
With the House prepared to push the new map forward, all eyes now turn to Bray’s caucus. If enough Senate Republicans hold firm, the push for a complete GOP sweep could collapse. But if pressure from Trump and national leaders succeeds, Indiana could become the latest battleground where redistricting reshapes the national landscape long before voters head to the polls.
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