www.dailywire.com
Indiana Governor Vows To Help Trump Primary ‘Misguided State Senators’ Who Rejected Redistricting
Indiana Governor Mike Braun blasted his fellow Republicans on Thursday who voted against a Trump-backed redistricting proposal, vowing to help President Donald Trump launch primary challenges against the “misguided state senators.”
Braun, a former U.S. senator who is serving his first term as governor, accused “a small group” of Republicans of working with Democrats to stop a new Congressional map that would have likely flipped two more House seats to the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections.
“I am very disappointed that a small group of misguided State Senators have partnered with Democrats to reject this opportunity to protect Hoosiers with fair maps and to reject the leadership of President Trump,” Braun said. “Ultimately, decisions like this carry political consequences. I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers.”
While Braun claimed it was “a small group” of Republicans who rejected the redistricting effort, the Congressional map was opposed by the majority of GOP state senators. Braun’s statement on X was hit with a community note to add that context.
The Daily Wire reached out to Braun’s office for comment.
The redistricting proposal failed in a 19-31 vote on Thursday, which included 21 of the 40 Republican state senators opposing the Congressional map that aimed to flip two Democratic House seats to Republican control. Senator Sue Glick, who voted against the map, said, “You have to know Hoosiers, we can’t be bullied.” Senator Greg Walker argued that the map was “unconstitutional.”
Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships
In a fiery floor speech before the vote, Republican Majority Floor Leader Chris Garten urged his colleagues to support the new map, arguing, “Some will say these maps are political. Let me be clear, you’re damn right they are! Political policy is political. Safe streets are political. Look at Indianapolis. Affordable electricity is political. A drug-free Indiana is political. Peace in the Middle East is political.”
Following the vote, Trump ripped Senate Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, who voted against the GOP-favored map.
“He’ll probably lose his next primary, whenever that is. I hope he does, because he’s done a tremendous disservice,” Trump said of Bray. “I’ll certainly support anyone who wants to go against him.”
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he could have done more to support the redistricting effort in Indiana, which would have added two seats for Republicans in next year’s elections.
“I won Indiana all three times by a landslide,” Trump said. “And I wasn’t working on it very hard. It would’ve been nice. I think we would’ve picked up two seats if we did that.”
Vice President JD Vance traveled to Indiana in recent months to meet with Governor Braun and help kickstart the redistricting plan, as Trump called on red states to pass new Congressional maps. On Thursday, Vance accused Bray of telling the White House that he wouldn’t fight the redistricting effort “while simultaneously whipping his members against it.” Bray denied the accusations leveled against him by the vice president, saying, “Typically my style is to let people vote like they want. They could come with a yes or come with a no. It’s exactly what I did this time.”
Republican-led states, including Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina, have all passed new Congressional maps that will likely help Republicans, while California voters approved a new map that could help Democrats.