President Donald Trump cheered on the passage of a new voting map in Indiana that may hand Republicans a much-needed boost going into the 2026 midterm elections.
The map cleared the Indiana House of Representatives, and Trump has urged the state’s Senate to do the same “to deliver a gigantic Victory for Republicans in the ‘Hoosier State,’ and across the Country.”
Why It Matters
Republicans across the country, at Trump’s insistence, have considered redistricting plans for their states in order to try and boost Republican prospects going into next year’s midterms.
Historically, the party holding the presidency loses seats in the first midterm congressional elections, and the current Congressional Republican majority remains razor thin. The U.S. Senate Republican majority is just three seats, while the House majority is just two seats.
Political analysts have speculated that the president is keen to avoid facing the same kind of legislative gridlock that plagued the second half of his first term when Democrats used the time in power to impeach him twice and oppose his agenda.
What To Know
The Indiana state House of Representatives passed the new congressional map on Friday, sending the legislation to the state Senate, where it currently faces a potential speed bump as it remains unclear if enough Republicans will support it.
The Indiana House passed the map with a 57-41 vote, which remaps Indianapolis into four districts to help Republicans win all nine Indiana congressional seats. However, Republicans in the state Senate have opposed mid-decade redistricting, according to the Associated Press.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump applauded the “tremendous” Republicans in Indiana for passing the map, adding that he believed the new map is “much fairer, and improved.”
“It was my Honor to win Indiana six times, including Primaries, in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and this new Map would give the incredible people of Indiana the opportunity to elect TWO additional Republicans in the 2026 Midterm Elections,” he wrote.
Trump then offered “encouragement” to nine Senators – “some of whom are up for Re-Election in 2026, and some in 2028.”
“Let your voice be heard loud and clear in support of these Senators doing the right thing,” the president added.
The U.S. Supreme Court this week allowed Texas to press on with its new congressional map after ruling against a freeze on the map’s usage instituted by a lower appellate court.
California approved its new voting map, which it made to counteract Texas’ map, but is still subject to legal challenge and approval.
Virginia is also currently redistricting its map, while Florida and Maryland have taken steps to begin redrawing theirs. Meanwhile, Alabama, Louisiana, New York, and North Dakota await court rulings on cases that would indicate whether they can proceed with redrawing their maps, according to The Hill.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, in part: “The Indiana Senate must now pass this Map, AS IS, and get it to Governor Mike Braun’s desk, ASAP, to deliver a gigantic Victory for Republicans in the “Hoosier State,” and across the Country.”
Indiana State Representative Andrew Ireland, a Republican, on Friday wrote on X: “The Indiana House of Representatives is about to vote on a 9-0 map, which could net TWO seats for Republicans. I am 100% voting for it to support the America First movement and fight back against blue state gerrymandering. 9-0 or bust.”
Indiana House Democrats wrote on X on Monday: “House Republicans just released their proposed congressional map. This won’t make life more affordable. Most Hoosiers will tell you that the government does little for them. How does a new map make government more efficient? It doesn’t.”
State Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, a Republican, said in a statement last month: “The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state. To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene as part of the regular 2026 session on Dec. 8 and make a final decision that week on any redistricting proposal sent from the House. Because we will reconvene as part of the regular 2026 legislative session, we anticipate concluding our regular 2026 session by the end of February.”
What Happens Next?
The Indiana Senate will convene during regular sessions to consider the new map, although lawmakers remain insistent the votes are not there to support its passage.
