Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
For most of President Donald Trump’s second term, Republicans have bent to his will. But in two Midwestern states, Trump’s campaign to secure GOP control of the U.S. House through mid-decade redistricting has hit a roadblock.
Despite weeks of pressure from the White House, Republicans in Indiana and Kansas say they lack the votes to pass new, more favorable congressional maps — a rare setback for a president who has largely commanded party loyalty.
Lawmakers in both states could still be swayed, but resistance in the GOP ranks has slowed momentum. The White House effort has included an Oval Office meeting with Indiana legislators and two trips to Indianapolis by Vice President JD Vance, underscoring the administration’s investment in the plan.
The push is part of a broader Trump strategy to preempt potential Democratic gains ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Typically, states redraw district boundaries once every decade based on census data, but Trump has urged Republicans to take the unusual step of revising maps mid-cycle to cement control of the House.
Democrats, who need only three seats to flip the chamber, have countered with redistricting efforts of their own. Virginia is expected to take up new maps in a special session beginning Monday.
Indiana hesitates to act
Indiana, where Republicans hold seven of nine congressional seats, was among the first states targeted by the White House. But a spokesperson for Senate President Rodric Bray said Thursday that the chamber does not have enough votes to approve new maps. More than a dozen Republicans in the Senate oppose the idea.
Some GOP lawmakers say the proposal goes too far. “We are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade — but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election,” said state Sen. Spencer Deery, a Republican.
Others, like Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, argue the party has been too timid. “It has been said accurately that the Indiana Senate is where conservative ideas from the House go to die,” Beckwith said in a recent post on social media.
Former Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, publicly urged lawmakers to reject Trump’s plan. Writing in The Washington Post, he said, “Someone has to lead in climbing out of the mudhole. Hoosiers, like most Americans, place a high value on fairness and react badly to its naked violation.”
Kansas GOP falls short of supermajority
In Kansas, Republicans are attempting to bypass Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly by forcing a special session — something that has happened only once in the state’s 164-year history. But GOP leaders remain short of the two-thirds support required in both chambers.
“Redistricting by either party in midcycle should not be done,” said Rep. Mark Schreiber, a Republican southwest of Topeka, who refused to sign the petition for a special session.
Republicans have long sought to weaken Rep. Sharice Davids, the lone Democrat in the state’s delegation, who represents the Kansas City–area 3rd Congressional District. But moderate Republicans and unaffiliated voters — especially in Johnson County, the state’s most populous — have resisted efforts to alter the district.
“They tried it once and couldn’t get it done,” said Jack Shearer, an 82-year-old Republican from suburban Kansas City.
Still, some GOP lawmakers continue to back the effort. “Splitting counties is not unprecedented and occurs in a number of congressional districts around the country,” said state Sen. Doug Shane, whose district includes part of Johnson County.
For now, Trump’s plan to redraw the map of political power in the heartland faces a rare obstacle — opposition from within his own party.
