Indiana lawmakers made an unexpected reversal on Tuesday, rushing back into a mid-cycle redistricting showdown after President Donald Trump increased pressure on GOP members resisting his push for new congressional maps.
For weeks, Republican leaders in the state Senate claimed they did not have enough votes to reopen the redistricting process. That changed abruptly. Both chambers will now return to the Statehouse in early December, marking the latest development in Trump’s national effort to convince Republican-controlled legislatures to create more favorable districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Indiana House announced it will reconvene on December 1. Speaker Todd Huston confirmed that lawmakers will consider all pending issues, including new congressional maps. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, who previously said the votes were not there, issued a statement Tuesday saying the Senate would return on December 8 to decide whether to approve whatever plan the House advances.
Trump celebrated the sudden shift. He has repeatedly said he wants Republicans to gain two new congressional seats in the state through redistricting. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, he promised political rewards for GOP lawmakers who support the plan and warned those who resist that he will back primary challengers.
“I am glad to hear the Indiana House is stepping up to do the right thing, and I hope the Senate finds the votes,” Trump wrote. “If they do, I will make sure everyone supporting me wins their primaries. If they do not, I will work with the powerful MAGA grassroots movement to elect strong Republicans who will do what is needed to protect our country and Make America Great Again.”
The president had attacked Bray only a week prior, calling him a “RINO” and accusing him of not caring about protecting the GOP majority in Congress.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, who has been publicly urging lawmakers for months to approve new maps, also praised the decision.
“This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly returning to vote on fair maps,” Braun wrote on X. “Hoosiers deserve proper representation in Washington. The General Assembly needs to deliver a 9 to 0 map that levels the playing field.”
Democrats in the state Senate criticized the sudden rescheduling, accusing Republicans of folding as soon as Trump “intensified his bullying campaign.”
Indiana’s move comes amid a growing national redistricting battle as both parties fight for every possible seat before the 2026 election cycle.
Last week, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito temporarily halted a federal court ruling that struck down Texas’ new congressional map. The decision allows Texas Republicans to keep using the contested boundaries, which could give the party as many as five additional seats, while the high court reviews the case.