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Gov. Mike Braun is expected to announce as soon as Monday plans to call state lawmakers back to the Statehouse for a special session to vote on a controversial mid-cycle redistricting plan promoted by President Donald Trump.
The expected move, disclosed by three sources familiar with the governor’s plans, follows months of lobbying by the Trump administration for Indiana to redraw its congressional map before the 2030 Census. Currently, seven of Indiana’s nine districts are represented by Republicans, and advocates of redistricting say that new maps could give the GOP a strong shot at all nine seats.
Braun is expected to make the announcement before Monday night’s Indiana GOP 2025 Fall Dinner, where Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters and Braun are expected to speak. The governor is the only person empowered to call the General Assembly into a special session, though he can’t control what lawmakers do when they get to the Statehouse.
A spokesperson for the Governor’s Office declined to comment, directing IBJ to Braun’s previous comments in support of redistricting.
Each of the three sources spoke under the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Five additional sources with ties to the Statehouse said they were informed of the governor’s plans to call a special session but did not know when he would do so.
The sources said they did not know when Braun would direct lawmakers back to Indianapolis but said the session would likely occur before the Legislature’s scheduled Organizational Day on Nov. 18. That day—which is typically a ceremonial day meant to kick off the next year’s session—could also be used for a redistricting vote.
The Legislature’s last special session came in 2022, when then-Gov. Eric Holcomb called a special session to address the state’s abortion law after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Braun’s plan to call a special session on redistricting follows a statement from Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray’s office on Wednesday stating that not enough Senate Republicans support redistricting to pass legislation. Democrats oppose the move, but Republicans hold a supermajority in the chamber, meaning they have enough members to make a quorum without Democrats. The House and Senate each need a simple majority to pass new congressional district maps.
One source who spoke with IBJ said Braun hopes that calling a special session would force more Republican state lawmakers to support redistricting. Already, Vice President JD Vance has visited Indiana twice to meet with state lawmakers about the issue.
On Friday, at least four more Republican senators signaled their support for redistricting, increasing the total number of “yes” votes to 11, according to totals compiled by several news organizations. The latest support comes from Sens. Scott Alexander, Muncie; Ron Alting, Lafayette; Justin Busch, Fort Wayne; and Daryl Schmitt, Jasper.
Several other conservative lawmakers have expressed openness to the proposal, while five have come out against the plan, according to The Indianapolis Star and Indiana Capital Chronicle. Another 16 have not openly shared their stance.
Multiple polls released in the last few weeks suggest a majority of Hoosiers are not in favor of redistricting.
Earlier this year, Trump began pushing conservative states to redraw their districts to secure more seats in the House of Representatives and fend off a midterm election reshuffle that would give Democrats control of the chamber.
Typically congressional maps are redrawn every 10 years, following the Census. While a mid-cycle redraw of the maps is uncommon, it’s not unheard of—by either political party.
So far, Texas and Missouri have finalized new maps that adopt the Trump administration’s preferences. Republican-led Florida, Kansas, Louisiana and Utah have all signaled interest in redistricting before the 2030 census, while Ohio has nearly completed the process.
Democratic states including California, Maryland, New York and Illinois are also considering changes to their maps that would likely swing districts toward Democrats.
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