Lt. Gov: Trump will help primary Republicans who don't support Indiana redistricting
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Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith says he thinks enough Senate Republicans will vote for redistricting to get a new map passed. But if they don't, he has a plan: supporting primary challengers.
Why it matters: Gov. Mike Braun called a special session to redraw Indiana's congressional map in favor of the GOP without the votes in the Senate to pass the proposal.
Driving the news: Beckwith said he and Braun are "making the case" to holdouts in the Senate and feels confident they'll get enough supporters that he won't have to act in his capacity as the Senate's tie-breaker.
- "We're not strong-arming anybody," he told reporters Tuesday at a press conference. "We're just saying, 'Here's the case. This is why it's important.'"
- Braun exited the same press conference, held to open the annual National FFA Convention, quickly without taking questions from reporters.
The intrigue: Beckwith said he'll happily help primary challengers in races against lawmakers who don't support redistricting to make a stronger, more conservative Senate.
What they're saying: "If we are a very conservative state, which I believe we are … that may be a case to say, 'We've got to get our house in order if this fails,'" Beckwith said. "And, certainly, I know the President's looking at that as well."
- President Trump's office did not immediately respond to questions about his potential involvement in Indiana Statehouse races.
Zoom out: A national fight over congressional maps has taken hold in more than a dozen states, with Republican- and Democratic-led states competing to redraw maps in order to swing the balance of power in Congress.
- Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have already passed new maps.
What's next: Braun called for the special session to start next week, but lawmakers have 40 days to finish their work.