Indiana Republicans Need to Stop Bending the Knee to D.C. and Start Listening to Hoosiers
Today, Governor Mike Braun announced a Special Session of the Indiana Legislature to redraw congressional maps—serving not Hoosiers, but his party bosses in Washington, D.C. Several recent polls overwhelmingly show that Hoosiers do not want redistricting. Just four years after the last maps were created, Governor Braun and the Republican supermajority are preparing to waste an enormous amount of taxpayer money on a special session that directly contradicts the will of their constituents.
This should come as no surprise. The Indiana GOP has a long history of ignoring the people they were elected to serve. Recent examples include:
Blocking tenant protection rights (2022)
Voting to limit protest rights (2023)
Weakening wetland protections and restricting higher education’s ability to retain and promote top faculty (2024)
Limiting public access laws (2024)
Polling consistently shows Hoosiers support some form of legalized cannabis, yet the supermajority continues to ignore the issue. When was the last time they truly listened to Hoosiers? Why would they start now? They are supposed to work for us—not for Donald Trump.
The power to redistrict lies with the Indiana Legislature, where Republicans hold a supermajority. While the Secretary of State is the chief election officer and does not write election law, that office should advocate for all voters—especially those in the minority who are too often ignored.
Our current Secretary of State has consistently aligned with party leaders in D.C. I will not. I am firmly opposed to this mid-cycle gerrymandering attempt just four years after redistricting in 2021. Redistricting is meant to occur every ten years, following the census—not fuel a political power grab.
Indiana already suffers from record-low voter turnout. Many Hoosiers tell me they feel their votes don’t matter when districts are drawn to guarantee specific outcomes. Gerrymandering fuels that belief and erodes trust in our democracy.
This special session is nothing more than an attempt to cheat Hoosiers out of free and fair elections by further gerrymandering the state—not because it is needed, but because party bosses in D.C. are demanding it to retain more power. Redistricting should ensure fair, equal representation—not rig the system for one political team. It must be done with impartiality, integrity, and transparency.
Any future redistricting should be handled by an independent, tri-partisan commission to ensure every voter is represented fairly. If elected, I will work with both Democrats and Republicans to keep Indiana’s elections free and fair. I cannot redraw your districts, but I can—and will—protect your right to be heard, ensuring every Hoosier has a meaningful vote and a voice in shaping our state’s future.