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In a surprising move, Hoosier State GOP legislators voted down a plan to redraw the state's congressional map on Thursday afternoon. This decision represents a direct rebuke of Donald Trump and wider national efforts to reconfigure electoral districts to benefit Republican office-seekers.

The Final Tally

The measure did not pass by a tally of 19 to 31. A sizable group of 21 GOP senators joined forces with 10 Democrats to reject the new redistricting plan.

Currently, Republicans occupy 7 of Indiana's 9 congressional seats. The rejected map was engineered to favor GOP-leaning electorates in all nine House districts. This was intended to be achieved through several major maneuvers:

• Carving up the liberal stronghold of Indianapolis into 4 separate congressional areas.
• Adding slices of Indianapolis voters to nearby heavily GOP regions.
• Splitting the northwest congressional district, currently held by Frank Mrvan, into 2 separate districts.

Key Holdout

State Sen. Greg Goode (R), a crucial GOP 'no' vote, voted against the map. In a detailed address to the chamber, he stated that his decision was in line with the wishes of his constituents.

"I am a Christian first and foremost, then an American citizen, then a conservative thinker, then a member of the GOP – in that priority," he said. "I'm certain that my vote represents the view of my people."

Broader Battle

This push in the Hoosier State occurred amid a national push by former President Trump to influence the redistricting of district lines to add more Republican seats before next year's midterms. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin lead in the U.S. House of Representatives and are widely projected to shed seats in the forthcoming vote.

Elsewhere, Republicans in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri have all redrawn maps to favor their side. Meanwhile, Democratic legislators have responded by adjusting districts in states like the Golden State to potentially add several Democratic seats. Democrats in the Commonwealth of Virginia are also ready to overhaul their maps for Democratic gain.

Intense Pressure

The former president undertook a bare-knuckled push to influence Hoosier Republicans to approve the redistricting plan. Vice-president JD Vance allegedly traveled to the state capitol multiple times to meet with state senators.

In a post on his social media platform, Trump voiced his anger on Wednesday. "Every other State has done Redistricting, willingly, openly, and easily. There was never a question in their minds that contributing to a victory in the Midterms for the Republicans was a great move to do for our Party, and for America itself," he posted. "Unfortunately, Indiana Senate Leader Rod Bray enjoys being the sole individual in the United States who is opposed to Republicans gaining extra seats, in Indiana’s instance, 2 of them."

Threats and Attacks

In the lead-up to the vote, Indiana state Republicans reportedly received death threats and swatting incidents. Furthermore, Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. publicly criticized Senator Rod Bray ahead of the Thursday roll call.

Heritage Action, the advocacy branch of the right-leaning think tank, also weighed in, stating on the day of the vote that the state would be stripped of federal funding if it did not pass the redistricting plan. Their message warned that key infrastructure projects and services would be impacted.