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In a dramatic action, Indiana GOP legislators defeated a plan to redistrict the state's U.S. House district boundaries on Thursday afternoon. This decision marks a direct rebuke of Donald Trump and broader national efforts to gerrymander voting districts to favor GOP office-seekers.

The Roll Call

The bill did not pass by a count of 19 to 31. A significant coalition of twenty-one GOP lawmakers sided with 10 Democrats to reject the controversial district maps.

Currently, Republicans hold 7 of Indiana's 9 congressional districts. The rejected map was crafted to create Republican-leaning districts in all nine House districts. This was intended to be achieved through several key changes:

• Splitting the liberal stronghold of Indianapolis into four different districts.
• Adding portions of Indianapolis electorate to nearby solidly GOP regions.
• Breaking up the northwest congressional district, currently represented by Frank Mrvan, into two separate areas.

Key Holdout

State Senator Greg Goode (R), a key Republican 'no' vote, voted against the map. In a detailed floor speech, he declared that his decision was in line with the wishes of his voters.

"I am a Christian first and foremost, then an American citizen, then a conservative thinker, then a Republican – in that priority," he stated. "I'm confident that my decision aligns with the desire of my district."

Wider Gerrymandering Fight

This push in Indiana occurred amid a country-wide drive by former President Trump to pressure the redistricting of congressional maps to add more GOP House seats ahead of next year's midterm elections. Republicans currently maintain a narrow lead in the U.S. House of Representatives and are widely projected to shed seats in the upcoming vote.

In other states, Republicans in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri have all enacted maps to benefit their party. At the same time, Democratic legislators have retaliated by redrawing districts in states like California to possibly add multiple seats. Democrats in the Commonwealth of Virginia are also ready to overhaul maps for party advantage.

Intense Pressure

The former president engaged in a bare-knuckled push to pressure Hoosier GOP lawmakers to approve the redistricting plan. Vice-president JD Vance reportedly visited the Indiana Statehouse on several occasions to lobby state senators.

In a post on his Truth Social, the former president expressed his anger on Wednesday. "All other state has done Redistricting, happily, transparently, and easily. There was never a question in their minds that contributing to a victory in the Midterms for the Republican Party was a good move to do for our party, and for America itself," he posted. "Unfortunately, Indiana's Senate “Leader” Senator Rod Bray seems to enjoy being the sole individual in the United States of America who is opposed to the GOP gaining additional seats, in Indiana’s instance, 2 of them."

Threats and Attacks

In the lead-up to the vote, some Indiana state Republicans reportedly faced death threats and swatting incidents. Additionally, VP J.D. Vance and Donald Trump Jr. openly attacked Senator Rod Bray (R) before the Thursday roll call.

Heritage Action, the activist arm of the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, also issued a statement, stating on the day of the vote that the state would be stripped of congressional funds if it failed to pass the redistricting plan. Their message implied that critical state projects and services would be impacted.