Live blog: Trump pressure looms as Indiana Senate heads toward redistricting vote

11:00 a.m.

Here’s how the map would change the Democratic-stronghold Marion County

The proposed redistricting map would fracture Marion County, which is currently centered in the 7th Congressional District, into four separate sprawling districts that stretch into rural areas of the state.

Under the plan, precincts in Pike Township would shift to the 4th District, which extends west to the Illinois border, while southern neighborhoods would be absorbed into the 9th District, reaching more than 100 miles south to the Kentucky border.

This division effectively dissolves the state's most racially diverse district, where nearly one-third of residents are Black, and would likely end the tenure of U.S. Rep. André Carson by placing Indianapolis voters in largely Republican-leaning areas.
 

Opponents of the map argue that the move is a deliberate attempt to strip minority voters of their political influence.

"It's just a huge injustice," said Ebony Barney, a public health worker whose north side neighborhood would be redrawn into a district snaking east to Ohio. "I find it hard to understand how so many people could be supportive of there being absolutely no representation of so many people."

However, some conservative residents in Indianapolis support the changes, arguing that the current map leaves them without a voice in a Democrat-dominated city.

"For a constituent like me, this is the only way you break one party rule in Indianapolis," said Adam Harvey, a resident of Lawrence Township who believes the new lines would provide necessary political competition.

9:45 a.m.

Trump issues final ultimatum to Senate Republicans

Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump injected fresh volatility into the debate with a direct warning to Indiana lawmakers on Truth Social.

Trump lashed out at the "slow walking" of House Bill 1032, explicitly targeting the Republican holdouts who have threatened to sink the redistricting map. 

"Indiana Senate Republicans must get TOUGH and pass the new Map TODAY. No more excuses! The Radical Left is destroying our Country and we need Strong Borders and Fair Maps to save it. Any Senator who votes against this Great Map is voting with the Democrats and will be primaried. GET IT DONE!"

Trump also targeted Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray: “I will do everything in my power to make sure they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again.”

This message marks a significant escalation from his post over the weekend, which merely "encouraged" specific undecided Sens. like Dan Dernulc (R-Highland) and Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute).

9:15 a.m. 

What's happening today?

The Indiana Senate is expected to vote late this afternoon on House Bill 1032, a proposal that would radically reshape the state’s congressional map less than four years after the last redistricting and give Republicans an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections for the U.S. House.

The proposal: The bill, authored by Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) and sponsored by Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton), allows the General Assembly to redraw districts at times "other than" the traditional post-census session.

The impact: The new map effectively dismantles the current 7th Congressional District. The Democratic-strong hold of Marion County would be split into four different congressional districts with rural communities: the 4th, 6th, 7th and 9th.

The controversy: Democrats and voting rights advocates say the new map is designed to dilute Indianapolis voters. President Trump has urged Indiana lawmakers to pass the new map to help Republicans secure a national majority, framing the vote as a necessary step to defeat the "Radical Left."

The Senate convenes at 1:30 p.m. for the third reading of the bill. It will be live streamed here. If it passes, it heads to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk.