Indiana Republicans remain divided over President Donald Trump’s push to have state lawmakers redraw congressional districts, despite Vice President JD Vance’s recent lobbying trip to Indianapolis. Several GOP insiders told Politico that Trump’s team is struggling to secure enough support within the party to advance the controversial plan.
“I don’t feel like it’s a slam dunk yet, but I think we definitely made progress,” said one Republican ally of Trump’s efforts, speaking on condition of anonymity. “I think they definitely get that we’re not going away.” Trump first unveiled the plan in August, shortly after successfully pressuring Texas lawmakers to redraw their congressional map in a way that added five Republican-leaning seats.
That move triggered backlash from Democrats and led California to pass legislation to redraw its own districts — setting off what some have called a national “redistricting battle.” Now, the focus has shifted to Indiana. But according to multiple GOP sources, state lawmakers there are far less enthusiastic.
“It was pretty stiff,” said another Republican close to the effort, describing a closed-door meeting Vance held with members of the Indiana Senate. During his visit, Vance also met with members of the Indiana House, trying to convince them that Trump’s proposal could be sold to voters as an issue of fairness rather than partisanship.
“Once you tell voters why you’re doing it, which is about fair representation, combating [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and what liberals are doing elsewhere to basically rig the maps – it’s about bringing fairness and balance to that – that’s persuasive,” said another Republican familiar with Vance’s pitch.
“You can get independents to split on it, which is good, and you can actually pick up a few Democrats.” But convincing voters may not be as simple as Vance suggests. Recent polling indicates that a majority of Hoosiers oppose mid-decade redistricting, even though Trump carried Indiana in the 2024 election with nearly 59% of the vote.
Insiders say the White House is growing frustrated with state-level resistance. According to Politico, Trump’s political team has begun discussing strategies to unseat Republican lawmakers who continue to oppose the plan. For now, despite Vance’s “frantic attempt” to rally support, Indiana Republicans appear reluctant to follow Trump’s lead — a sign that even within deep-red states, the president’s reach has its limits.