Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said Monday that he assured President Trump he is pressing state Republicans to adopt new congressional maps before the midterm elections.
Legislative leaders last week said they lacked the votes to advance a Trump-backed redistricting proposal, prompting frustration from both Mr. Braun and the president.
“I just had a great call with President Trump! I told him I remain committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress,” Mr. Braun said on X. “Indiana’s State Legislators must show up for work and take a public vote for fair maps to counter the gerrymandering in California and Illinois.
“But the Indiana State Senate is hiding behind closed doors and refusing to even bring redistricting to a vote,” he said. “Hoosiers deserve to know where their legislators stand and expect them to show up for work, not walk out and hide in the dark.”
Mr. Trump has urged Indiana Republicans to follow other GOP-led states in redrawing districts to protect the party’s slim House majority.
His warnings grew sharper after Democrats performed strongly in recent off-year elections. That included a ballot measure in California that has set the table for Democrats to net five House seats, and served as a direct response to redistricting efforts in Texas that could yield the GOP similar gains.
Democrats are hoping to carry that momentum into the midterms, where they aim to flip the House and serve as a firewall against Mr. Trump during his final two years in office.
Mr. Braun called a special session of the General Assembly late last month to consider altering Indiana’s congressional district boundaries.
But Republicans in the state Senate said Friday there was not enough support among lawmakers to change the maps.
Mr. Trump fired back: “Any Republican that votes against this important redistricting, potentially having an impact on America itself, should be primaried.”
He even singled out Indiana Senate President Rod Bray and state Sen. Greg Goode, calling them “RINO Senators.” He also questioned Mr. Braun’s leadership while claiming credit for getting him elected to the governor’s mansion.
Things took a darker turn later that evening after a local sheriff’s office reported Mr. Goode had been the victim of a swatting incident. The local sheriff said his team responded to Mr. Goode’s residence after receiving an email warning that “harm had been done to persons inside a home.”
It proved to be false.
