Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Indiana on Thursday, August 7, 2025, to discuss redistricting with Republican leaders, amidst growing pressure from President Donald Trump on GOP-led states to redraw congressional boundaries. The goal is to give the Republican party a greater advantage in the 2026 midterm elections.
Vance is expected to hold private meetings with Governor Mike Braun and other key figures before attending a GOP fundraiser in the state. Braun has indicated that redistricting will be among the topics discussed with the Vice President, but he has not made any firm commitments.
This move comes as Texas Democrats have stalled a vote on a redrawn congressional map, attempting to prevent the Republicans from securing five more GOP-leaning congressional seats before the midterms. The White House's objective is to improve the Republican's chances of maintaining control of the House.
Indiana is considered a reliably Republican state. However, opponents of any redistricting efforts are planning protests and a news conference led by the state's two Democratic members of Congress to voice their objections.
Even though Indiana is a Republican stronghold, the redrawing of district lines could still significantly impact the political landscape. One potential target for redistricting is Indiana's 7th Congressional District, which is entirely within Marion County and includes the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis.
The current congressional map in Indiana was approved in 2021 and was not legally challenged, even by Democrats who opposed the changes that benefited the GOP in the suburbs north of Indianapolis. Frank Mrvan, the Democratic U.S. Representative for Indiana's 1st district, won reelection in 2022 and retained his seat in 2024. Mrvan stated that the Trump administration is pushing the Indiana General Assembly to redistrict U.S. House seats mid-decade because their policies are unpopular.
Laura Merrifield Wilson, a political science professor at the University of Indianapolis, noted that the seat held by Frank Mrvan has been considered a possible pickup for Republicans as manufacturing union jobs have decreased in the area. In the 2022 election, the borders of the district were redrawn to be slightly more favorable to Republicans.
The possibility of redrawing congressional maps has sparked debate and concern across the country. Historically, redistricting has been done discreetly to avoid backlash from voters wary of a rigged system. However, Trump's urging of Texas to redraw maps to favor Republicans has brought the practice into the open.
Other states are also considering redrawing their congressional maps. Ohio is legally required to remap the state, which could potentially give Republicans up to three more seats. Missouri's governor is facing pressure from the Trump administration to call a special legislative session for congressional redistricting that favors Republicans. Talks are also underway in states like New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida.
Democrats are also exploring options to counter these Republican efforts. In California, Democrats have privately agreed to a new congressional map that could potentially net them as many as five seats in 2026. The GOP targets include Representatives Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, David Valadao, Doug LaMalfa, and Kevin Kiley.
