Vance visits amid impasse on Indiana redistricting
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Protestors walk in front of the Indiana State Library after the arrival of Vice President JD Vance. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
The White House has turned up the heat on Indiana Republicans to redraw the state's congressional map so they can secure two more seats in next year's midterm election.
Why it matters: Redistricting talks appear to have stalled, prompting a third round of visits with the Trump administration.
- Gov. Mike Braun has said there could be consequences if Indiana doesn't deliver on a new map that flips the 1st District in northwest Indiana and 7th District, covering much of Indianapolis, from blue to red.
Driving the news: Vice President JD Vance was back in Indianapolis Friday, spending about three hours meeting with Braun and lawmakers on their home turf for the second time since August.
- Another meeting took place in Washington, D.C., after Trump invited Indiana Republicans to the White House over the summer.
The big picture: Other Republican-led states, like Texas and Missouri, have already moved ahead with redistricting efforts — drawing new congressional maps that favor the GOP.
Zoom in: The impasse in Indiana appears to be in the state Senate, where several lawmakers have continued to question the rationale for redistricting when the current congressional map was drawn (and celebrated) by Republicans in 2020.
What they're saying: The conversation with Vance on Friday was "fruitful and productive," according to Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville.
- Bray told reporters after the meeting that they discussed the "pros and cons" but no decision was made.
- "We're going to work on that and hopefully have a decision very soon," Bray said.
The other side: Indiana Democrats are also keeping up the pressure on Republicans, urging the supermajority to resist what Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, called bullying from D.C.
- "Hoosiers are letting their elected (officials) know: We did not stand by to let our maps be rigged," she said in a press conference after an anti-redistricting rally held at the Statehouse during Vance's visit. "We do not cheat."
What we're watching: Braun has set November as the target for a special session on redistricting, which gives leaders just a few weeks to gather the necessary votes.