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State Sen. Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shore) said Friday he will vote against mid-decade redistricting for Indiana’s congressional maps, citing President Donald Trump’s use of derogatory language as his motivation.
Trump used a word often considered derogatory toward people with intellectual disabilities in a Thursday Truth Social post referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Bohacek, whose daughter has Down syndrome, condemned the language in a Facebook post.
“This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences,” Bohacek wrote.
Trump has pressured states, including Indiana, to redraw congressional maps to help solidify Republican control of Congress in the 2026 midterm election. State senators face intensifying pressure to support changes that would benefit the GOP.
Bohacek suggested the president instead “use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.”
Republicans currently hold seven of Indiana's nine U.S. House seats. Democrats represent the 1st District in northwest Indiana—held by U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan—and the 7th District in Marion County, held by U.S. Rep. André Carson.
Redistricting could alter district boundaries and the state’s political trajectory for years.
The Indiana House returns to the Statehouse on Monday to begin discussing redistricting. The Senate is expected to convene Dec. 8.
Bohacek also recently faced criticism over drunken driving charges filed in June, which were delayed for months due to legislative immunity protections.
WVPE reporter Michael Gallenberger contributed to this story.
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