Indiana lawmakers plan special session for redistricting in first two weeks of December

After months of pressure from the Trump administration and Gov. Mike Braun's call last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) announced a tentative timeline to draw new maps.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Bray said they expect the Senate to reconvene in the first two weeks of December and anticipate finishing the maps by Dec. 12.

The Trump administration has pushed for Indiana lawmakers to redraw congressional districts to eliminate Indiana's two Democratic representatives from Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Typically, the party that holds the presidency experiences losses in the midterm election.

That loss is what the Trump administration is trying to avoid. Texas, Missouri and California have all redrawn maps.

Ahead of Vice President JD Vance's first visit to Indiana in early August, Gov. Mike Braun and Republican legislative leaders said Indiana's maps were already fair. Since then, several Republican lawmakers have spoken against redrawing districts.

Last week, a Senate spokesperson said "the votes still aren't there for redistricting."

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Democrats and nonpartisan groups have criticized the potential cost and outsized effect on Indiana communities of color, calling it "congressional shoplifting."

In a statement, Bray said delaying the special session until after Organization Day — the ceremonial kickoff to the 2026 legislative session — addresses the cost.

"Adjusting the 2026 legislative calendar is what makes the most sense when we consider member schedules, the logistics of legislative action and — most importantly — the costs to the taxpayer," Bray said. "Making this shift allows the legislature to consider the topics presented to us in a thoughtful way without burdening Hoosier taxpayers with the cost of a special session."

Article 4, Section 5 of the Indiana Constitution limits redistricting of Indiana's state Senate and House maps to the year or two after the federal decennial census.

State law limits redrawing the state's congressional district lines to the first regular session of the Indiana General Assembly after a federal decennial census — though that could be more easily changed by the Republican supermajority.

Bray's spokesperson said the regular legislation session will begin on Jan. 5.

Lauren is our digital editor. Contact her at lauren@ipbnews.org or follow her on Bluesky at @laurenechapman.bsky.social.