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In a unexpected action, Indiana GOP legislators voted down a proposal to redistrict the state's U.S. House district boundaries on Thursday. This vote represents a pointed rejection of Donald Trump and broader national campaigns to alter voting maps to favor GOP office-seekers.

The Final Tally

The measure was defeated by a tally of 19 to 31. A sizable bloc of 21 Republican lawmakers sided with 10 Democratic senators to defeat the new district maps.

Currently, Republicans hold seven of Indiana's nine congressional districts. The defeated map was crafted to create Republican-leaning districts in all nine House districts. This was intended to be done through multiple key maneuvers:

• Dividing the liberal stronghold of Indianapolis into 4 separate districts.
• Attaching portions of Indianapolis voters to nearby solidly GOP regions.
• Dividing the north-western congressional district, presently held by Frank Mrvan, into two separate districts.

Key Holdout

State Sen. Greg Goode (R), a pivotal GOP holdout, opposed the redistricting bill. In a extended floor speech, he declared that his vote reflected the will of his constituents.

"I am a Christian first, then an American, then a conservative thinker, then a member of the GOP – in that priority," he stated. "I am certain that my vote aligns with the desire of my district."

National Context

This effort in Indiana occurred amid a nationwide push by former President Trump to pressure the redrawing of district lines to create more Republican seats before next year’s midterm elections. The GOP presently hold a narrow lead in the House and are broadly anticipated to lose seats in the upcoming election.

Elsewhere, Republicans in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri have each enacted districts to benefit their side. Meanwhile, Democrats have responded by adjusting maps in places such as the Golden State to potentially add multiple Democratic seats. Democrats in Virginia are also positioned to redraw maps for Democratic advantage.

High-Stakes Lobbying

Donald Trump undertook a aggressive campaign to lobby Indiana GOP lawmakers to approve the redistricting plan. Vice-president JD Vance allegedly visited the Indiana Statehouse on several occasions to meet with state senators.

In a statement on his Truth Social, the former president expressed his frustration on Wednesday. "All other State has done redistricting, willingly, transparently, and without issue. There was no doubt in their mind that contributing to a WIN in the midterms for the Republican Party was a positive move to do for our party, and for America itself," he posted. "Unfortunately, Indiana's Senate “Leader” Rod Bray seems to enjoy being the sole individual in the United States of America who is opposed to Republicans gaining additional seats, in Indiana's case, two of them."

Threats and Attacks

In the days to the vote, Indiana GOP senators allegedly received death threats and swatting incidents. Furthermore, VP J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Jr. publicly criticized Senator Rod Bray ahead of the Thursday vote.

Heritage Action, the activist branch of the right-leaning think tank, also issued a statement, warning on Thursday that the state of Indiana would lose federal funding if it did not pass the redistricting plan. Their post suggested that key state projects and services would be impacted.