"I'm being asked to support a map that doesn't exist." Republican Sen. Jean Leising explains her "NO" on redistricting

A Republican Senator from southern Indiana has come out strongly against redistricting.

Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) released a statement Wednesday saying she could not get behind the push for new congressional maps.

Few senators have publicly stated their position on redistricting, and only a handful have voiced opposition. Still, Senate leadership has said there are not enough votes in favor of new congressional maps. 

WFYI's Ben Thorp spoke with Sen. Leising about her opposition. Leising said her constituents are overwhelmingly opposed to redrawing Indiana's congressional maps to favor Republicans. But Leising said she and other republicans are facing pressure from advocacy organizations that are trying to get constituents to support the move.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Benjamin Thorp: As I've been talking to folks, it sounds like you guys, particularly Republican Senators, are under immense pressure right now to make a decision and make a decision in favor of redistricting. Can you talk about what you're experiencing?

Sen. Jean Leising: The pressure that we're under, I would tell you, that all of us that hadn't publicly made a statement have been getting pressure by way of negative texts to our constituents, negative phone calls to our constituents. So, they're trying pretty hard to sway constituents to change their minds. 

But one of the reasons, besides my constituents, is the fact that I'm being asked to support a map that doesn't exist. We do not have a copy of the real map that they want to push forward. I don't ever vote for a bill, yes or no, on something that I don't know the main contents of that bill. Okay, so why would I vote for a map to change congressional districts in Indiana when I haven't seen the map?

I think that for all those reasons, I mean, the thing that probably really forced me to take a position was the fact that when I realized that kids with cell phones in my district, including my 14-year-old grandson, were getting negative messages about me as well as his classmates. And I found that very offensive.

Thorp: I haven't seen any of these commercials or these text messages. What were these D.C.-based groups saying about you? 

Leising: Well, they just say that, you know, I'm siding with people like Newsom from California and AOC from New York. That's pretty much the verbal message. But one of the other offensive things in the text, in one of the texts that's been used widely, they refer to me as a "him." So I found that, to me, that meant that the people sending these didn't even know who they were sending them about or to. That's all very concerning.

Thorp: Can I ask you, is there a way in which the negative messaging here might have actually pushed you further towards not supporting this?

Leising: Absolutely, absolutely, but, but I was already negative because of the fact that clearly my constituents did not want this.

Thorp: Can I ask you, you know, if this campaign from some of these D.C. groups, and I've spoken to them, if it does change your constituent minds, what does that do for your vote?

Leising: I'm a firm no, I don't waffle on things. I've never been a person that waffles ever, you know, if I make a decision, the decision is made. Unfortunately, I've told the folks from Washington if they really wanted us to take a position two or three weeks ago, when this all really kind of really got going, they would have shown us a map.

Thorp: What am I not asking you, Senator, that you might want to mention about everything that's happening?

Leising: Well, I think that Senator Bray (R-Martinsville) has been very, very good to the senators in letting each of us make up our own mind based on our constituency. I'm afraid that maybe some people may not think that. He is not at all pushy in this process. He has basically said, I want each of you to make a decision for your constituency, what you really think.

I think for that, he deserves a lot of credit, because I can't imagine the pressure he is personally receiving from both the President and the governor.

Thorp: Senator, thank you so much for giving me a call.

Leising: Thank you for taking it. Take care.

Contact Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org