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In a surprising action, Indiana GOP legislators rejected a measure to reshape the state's congressional map on Thursday. This decision marks a clear defiance of former President Trump and broader GOP-led efforts to gerrymander voting maps to benefit GOP candidates.

The Vote

The proposal was defeated by a count of 19 to 31. A sizable group of twenty-one Republican senators sided with ten Democrats to reject the new redistricting plan.

Currently, Republicans represent 7 of Indiana's nine congressional seats. The proposed map was crafted to favor Republican-leaning districts in every single one of the congressional seats. This would have been accomplished through multiple key maneuvers:

• Splitting the liberal stronghold of Indianapolis into 4 different districts.
• Adding portions of the city's voters to adjacent solidly GOP districts.
• Splitting the north-western congressional district, currently held by Democrat Frank Mrvan, into 2 new districts.

Key Holdout

State Sen. Greg Goode, a crucial GOP 'no' vote, rejected the map. In a extended floor speech, he declared that his vote represented the will of his constituents.

"I'm a Christian man first, then an American citizen, then a conservative thinker, then a Republican – in that order," he proclaimed. "I'm confident that my decision aligns with the will of my people."

National Context

This push in Indiana occurred during a country-wide push by Donald Trump to shape the redrawing of district lines to create more Republican House seats ahead of next year’s midterms. The GOP presently maintain a razor-thin majority in the House and are widely expected to lose ground in the forthcoming election.

Elsewhere, GOP lawmakers in Texas, North Carolina, and the Show-Me State have each passed districts to favor their side. At the same time, Democrats have responded by adjusting districts in places such as California to possibly gain several Democratic seats. Democrats in Virginia are also poised to redraw their maps for Democratic advantage.

Trump's Campaign

Donald Trump engaged in a aggressive push to influence Indiana GOP lawmakers to approve the map. Vice President JD Vance allegedly visited the Indiana Statehouse multiple times to lobby state senators.

In a statement on his Truth Social, the former president expressed his displeasure on Wednesday evening. "Every other state has done Redistricting, readily, openly, and easily. There was no doubt in their minds that contributing to a victory in the midterms for the Republicans was a good thing to do for our Party, and for America itself," he wrote. "Sadly, Indiana Senate “Leader” Rod Bray enjoys being the only person in the United States who is opposed to Republicans picking up additional seats, in Indiana's case, 2 of them."

Pressure Tactics

In the days to the critical vote, Indiana state Republicans allegedly received death threats and swatting attempts. Furthermore, Vice President J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Jr. openly attacked Senator Rod Bray before the Thursday roll call.

The advocacy group Heritage Action, the advocacy branch of the conservative think tank, also issued a statement, claiming on Thursday that the state would lose federal funding if it failed to pass the map. Their post warned that critical infrastructure projects and services would be halted.