Indiana Democrats blast GOP plan to reconvene for redistricting in December

Staff report

INDIANAPOLIS – Nov. 25, 2025 – Indiana House and Senate leaders’ decision to reconvene early in December to take up congressional redistricting drew sharp criticism Tuesday from Democratic lawmakers, who accused Republicans of prioritizing partisan power over the needs of struggling Hoosiers.

House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray announced that the General Assembly will restart the 2026 session ahead of schedule to consider new congressional maps beginning Dec. 1. The move comes amid intense national and in-state pressure from Republican leaders to redraw Indiana’s U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

State Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis), House Minority Caucus Chair, said Hoosiers have not been asking for new maps.

“Hoosiers have made their voices loud and clear over the past few months that they do not want or need new congressional maps,” Hamilton said in a statement. “New congressional maps don’t help families keep more of their hard-earned money. New congressional maps don’t bring down the cost of utilities, groceries, child care, health care or housing. New congressional maps serve only the political elites in Washington who want to maintain power at the expense of working Hoosiers.”

Hamilton said Republicans have had two decades in control of state government to improve conditions for families.

“Republicans have had 20 years to create an Indiana where Hoosiers can thrive. And yet, working families can barely survive. Let’s get serious about meeting the needs of our voters – not silencing them,” she said.

The early reconvening follows weeks of internal GOP tension over whether to pursue “mid-cycle” redistricting, with Gov. Mike Braun and President Donald Trump urging lawmakers to draw a congressional map that could give Republicans control of all nine of Indiana’s U.S. House seats.

Bray: Senate will make ‘final decision’ on maps in December

Bray said in a separate statement that the Senate will reconvene Dec. 8 as part of the regular 2026 session to consider any redistricting plan approved by the House.

“The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state,” Bray said. “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.”

He added that, by starting early, lawmakers still expect to conclude the 2026 session by the end of February.

IBLC warns of ‘chaos’ for voters and local officials

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus also condemned the redistricting push, arguing it distracts from urgent kitchen-table issues and could create confusion for both voters and election administrators.

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the IBLC, said his members are hearing daily from constituents worried about paying bills – not about reshaping congressional districts.

“Every day, we hear from constituents who are struggling to keep their lights on and put food on the table,” Harris said. “None of our constituents have called or emailed to tell them how excited they are about new congressional maps. Hoosiers don’t want redistricting; they want a better quality of life.”

Harris argued that convening in December will eat into valuable time next year that could be spent on legislation to lower living costs, address health care expenses and tackle other pressing issues.

He also warned that passing new maps mid-decade would “cause chaos” for county clerks and local governments charged with implementing new district lines and could sow “unnecessary confusion” among voters.

“Come Dec. 1, I hope House Republicans take the time to consider the potential ramifications of mid-decade redistricting on Hoosiers and not move forward with any new maps,” Harris said.

National pressure, swatting incidents and primary threats

The annoucement comes after weeks of escalating national pressure over redistricting. President Trump has publicly berated Indiana Republican leaders over their hesitation, calling out specific GOP senators by name and urging that Republicans who oppose new maps “should be primaried.”

In the same period, at least four Republican senators who have opposed or expressed skepticism about mid-decade redistricting have reported being targeted in swatting incidents at their homes, including one lawmaker who was swatted hours after Trump singled him out on social media.

Gov. Mike Braun has aligned himself with Trump’s push, touting what he described as a “great call” with the former president and vowing to back primary challengers against GOP senators who refuse to support new maps – promising to help recruit, endorse and finance those challengers.

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