INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (WOWO) Indiana House Releases Draft Redistricting Map as Lawmakers Prepare for Contentious Debate
Just hours before the Indiana House was set to convene to take up mid-decade redistricting, Republican leaders released a draft map showing significant changes to the state’s nine congressional districts—changes that overwhelmingly favor the GOP.
Inside Indiana Business reports that the proposed map, posted to the House Republican caucus website Monday morning, dramatically reshapes several districts, most notably in Marion County. Under the current 2021 map, Marion County is contained almost entirely within Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, represented by Democrat André Carson. The new proposal would split Marion County into four separate districts, a shift that could weaken Democratic strength in the state’s largest urban center.
Elsewhere, District 1—currently held by Democrat Frank Mrvan—would undergo sweeping changes. The district would no longer include most of Porter and LaPorte counties; instead, it would begin in Lake County and extend southeast across Starke, Pulaski, Fulton, Miami, Cass, and Wabash counties. The reworked district would become far more favorable to Republicans.
House Republicans are advancing the proposal during a turbulent period in Indiana politics. Gov. Mike Braun called lawmakers back for a special session in late October after pressure from former President Donald Trump to adopt GOP-friendly maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Since then, the General Assembly has oscillated—announcing plans to meet, voting to adjourn without taking up redistricting, then reversing course again and scheduling sessions for early December.
House leadership maintains the chamber is ready to move forward.
“We’ll be redrawing the congressional maps, the nine congressional maps in the state of Indiana, and drawing them to the best of our ability,” Rep. Bob Morris said Monday morning as he traveled to the Capitol.
Morris acknowledged the uncertainty in the Senate, where the final vote remains unclear. Still, he said efforts are underway to unify Republicans in both chambers. “Every time you turn the news on, there’s another senator making a statement about redistricting,” he said. “I just hope over the past weekend, as Senator Brown continues to educate her colleagues on how important this is to get this redistricting done.”
He added that the governor has been heavily involved: “Governor Brown’s been working overtime meeting with senators just to bring them along so we can get this done and get back home for Christmas.”
While House passage is expected, the Senate’s December 8 session will be pivotal.
Morris encouraged Hoosiers to participate and make their voices heard as lawmakers prepare for what is expected to be a contentious debate. “Please contact your state senators and your state representatives to let them know your opinion,” he said. “We carry your vote to the State Capitol.”
Hearings in both chambers will be public, and Morris noted that Hoosiers will have plenty to follow as the process unfolds: “I think you need to get your popcorn, peanuts, pretzels and chips. All of the hearings will be public—you can tune in and watch it.”
The House is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon, with the Senate session planned for December 8. The redistricting proposal, if passed, would shape Indiana’s political landscape for the remainder of the decade.