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In a dramatic action, Indiana Republicans defeated a plan to redistrict the state's congressional district boundaries on Thursday afternoon. This outcome marks a clear rejection of former President Trump and broader GOP-led campaigns to gerrymander electoral districts to benefit Republican candidates.

The Vote

The bill was defeated by a vote of 19 to 31. A significant group of 21 Republican lawmakers joined forces with ten Democrats to reject the controversial district maps.

Currently, GOP representatives hold seven of Indiana's 9 congressional seats. The defeated plan was engineered to establish GOP-leaning districts in every single one of the House districts. This would have been achieved through multiple key changes:

• Splitting the liberal base of the state capital into four separate districts.
• Attaching slices of Indianapolis voters to nearby solidly GOP regions.
• Dividing the north-western congressional district, currently represented by Frank Mrvan, into two separate areas.

Key Holdout

State Senator Greg Goode, a crucial Republican holdout, opposed the map. In a detailed floor speech, he stated that his position reflected the wishes of his district.

"I'm a Christian first and foremost, then an American citizen, then a conservative, then a member of the GOP – in that order," he said. "I'm convinced that my vote represents the view of my district."

Wider Gerrymandering Fight

This effort in the Hoosier State took place amid a nationwide drive by former President Trump to pressure the redistricting of congressional maps to create more GOP seats before next year’s midterms. Republicans currently maintain a razor-thin lead in the U.S. House of Representatives and are widely projected to lose ground in the forthcoming election.

Elsewhere, Republicans in the Lone Star State, North Carolina, and the Show-Me State have all redrawn districts to benefit their side. At the same time, Democrats have retaliated by redrawing districts in places such as California to possibly add several seats. Democrats in Virginia are also ready to overhaul maps for Democratic advantage.

High-Stakes Lobbying

Donald Trump undertook a intense effort to influence Indiana GOP lawmakers to pass the redistricting plan. Vice President JD Vance allegedly visited the state capitol on several occasions to lobby lawmakers.

In a message on his Truth Social, the former president expressed his displeasure on Wednesday. "All other state has done Redistricting, willingly, openly, and without issue. There was never a question in their mind that contributing to a victory in the Midterms for the Republicans was a positive thing to do for our Party, and for America itself," he wrote. "Sadly, Indiana Senate “Leader” Rod Bray enjoys being the sole individual in the United States who is against Republicans gaining extra seats, in Indiana’s instance, 2 of them."

Threats and Attacks

In the lead-up to the vote, Indiana state Republicans allegedly received death threats and swatting attempts. Furthermore, VP J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Jr. openly targeted Senate Leader Rod Bray ahead of the Thursday roll call.

The advocacy group Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, also issued a statement, stating on Thursday that the state of Indiana would lose congressional funds if it failed to pass the redistricting plan. Their message implied that key state initiatives and operations would be jeopardized.