Indiana House releases first draft of maps as redistricting reaches Statehouse

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The Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis (IL file photo)

Just hours before the House was set to convene and discuss mid-decade redistricting, the chamber released a draft of how Indiana’s Republican supermajority may change the state’s congressional districts.

The map, posted to the House Republican caucus’ website Monday morning, significantly alters many of the state’s nine congressional districts to favor Republicans.

Most notably, Marion County would be split between four different districts. Under the current maps, passed in 2021, Marion County is its own district, represented by Democrat André Carson.

District 1—in the northwest part of the state, currently held by Democrat Frank Mrvan—would no longer include most of Porter and LaPorte counties. Instead, that district would start in Lake County and extend far to the southeast to include Starke, Pulaski, Fulton, Miami, Cass and Wabash counties.

The maps come amid a tumultuous month in Indiana politics following Gov. Mike Braun’s call for a special legislative session to address President Donald Trump’s push for GOP-friendly maps that would give Republicans an edge in maintaining their control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

Since Braun’s call for a special session on Oct. 27, the General Assembly announced plans to convene on the topic of redistricting, then voted to adjourn without meeting for redistricting talks, then reversed course again and announced last week that they will meet the first two weeks of December.

Democrats react

Carson, whose current District 7 would be split into four districts, wrote on social media Monday that Hoosiers “won’t stand for” redistricting.

“Hoosier values matter more than DC threats and bullying,” Carson posted to X, formerly Twitter. “Splicing our state’s largest city—and its biggest economic driver—into four parts is ridiculous. It’s clear these orders are coming from Washington, and they clearly don’t know the first thing about our community.”

House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said in a written statement Monday that “Hoosiers will be worse off for these maps.”

“These new congressional districts wind and twist, breaking up communities and putting them in the same district as counties over 100 miles away,” GiaQuinta said.

“House Democrats have been saying this for months, and the maps reflect it: This won’t lower the cost of living. This won’t make life more affordable for Hoosiers. In fact, these maps will make it harder to get by,” GiaQuinta continued. “Most Hoosiers will already tell you that government does very little for them. How does being lumped in a district with Hoosiers in vastly different regions with vastly different concerns make government work better for constituents? It doesn’t.”

The House is meeting starting Monday afternoon. The Senate, where it’s still unclear if there are enough votes to pass redistricting, is expected to meet Dec. 8.

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