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In a dramatic action, Indiana GOP legislators rejected a measure to redistrict the state's congressional map on Thursday afternoon. This outcome constitutes a direct rebuke of Donald Trump and wider GOP-led efforts to gerrymander electoral maps to favor Republican office-seekers.

The Vote

The proposal was defeated by a vote of 19 to 31. A significant bloc of 21 Republican lawmakers joined forces with ten Democrats to block the controversial redistricting plan.

Currently, Republicans hold seven of Indiana's 9 congressional seats. The proposed map was engineered to establish Republican-leaning districts in every single one of the congressional seats. This was intended to be achieved through several key changes:

• Dividing the liberal stronghold of the state capital into 4 different districts.
• Adding segments of Indianapolis electorate to nearby solidly GOP districts.
• Breaking up the northwest congressional district, currently represented by Democrat Frank Mrvan, into 2 separate areas.

Defecting Senator

State Sen. Greg Goode, a pivotal Republican holdout, opposed the map. In a extended floor speech, he declared that his vote was in line with the will of his voters.

"I am a Christian man first, then an American, then a conservative thinker, then a Republican – in that sequence," he said. "I'm convinced that my decision aligns with the will of my district."

Wider Gerrymandering Fight

This campaign in the Hoosier State occurred during a national push by former President Trump to pressure the redistricting of district lines to add more Republican seats ahead of next year’s midterms. Republicans presently hold a narrow lead in the U.S. House of Representatives and are widely expected to lose seats in the upcoming vote.

In other states, Republicans in the Lone Star State, the Tar Heel State, and the Show-Me State have all passed districts to benefit their party. Meanwhile, Democrats have retaliated by redrawing maps in places such as California to potentially gain multiple seats. The Democratic party in Virginia are also poised to overhaul their maps for party gain.

Trump's Campaign

Donald Trump undertook a intense campaign to lobby Hoosier Republicans to pass the map. Vice-president JD Vance allegedly traveled to the state capitol multiple times to lobby state senators.

In a statement on his social media platform, Trump voiced his displeasure on Wednesday. "Every other state has done Redistricting, willingly, transparently, and easily. There was no doubt in their minds that helping to secure a WIN in the Midterms for the Republican Party was a positive move to do for our Party, and for America itself," he wrote. "Unfortunately, Indiana's Senate “Leader” Rod Bray seems to enjoy being the sole individual in the United States who is opposed to Republicans picking up additional seats, in Indiana’s instance, 2 of them."

Pressure Tactics

In the days to the vote, some Indiana GOP senators allegedly faced death threats and swatting incidents. Additionally, VP JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. openly targeted Senator Rod Bray before the Thursday roll call.

The advocacy group Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, also issued a statement, warning on the day of the vote that the state of Indiana would forfeit congressional funds if it did not pass the redistricting plan. Their message warned that key state projects and operations would be impacted.