SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Indiana Governor Mike Braun put out a statement on Tuesday afternoon after Indiana’s state Senators and Representatives voted to adjourn until January 5th of 2026.
“I am glad to see Speaker Huston and House Republicans publicly endorse the need for fair maps. We look forward to them returning in December to vote to advance them. Momentum is building and it’s time now for our state senators to commit to showing up for work,” said Braun. “Unfortunately, Sen. Rod Bray was forced to partner with DEMOCRATS to block an effort by the growing number of America First Senators who wanted to have a vote on passing fair maps. Now I am left with no choice other than to explore all options at my disposal to compel the State Senate to show up and vote.”
He also voiced support for President Trump:
“I will support President Trump’s efforts to recruit, endorse, and finance primary challengers for Indiana’s senators who refuse to support fair maps,” said Braun.
In early October, Independent Indiana conducted a poll through North Star Opinion Research among registered voters in Indiana.
That poll found a majority of Hoosiers, 53 percent, oppose the proposal to redraw Indiana’s congressional district, while 34 percent support redistricting.
Below are Governor Braun’s answers, from a one-on-one interview with ABC57’s Jordan Tolbert on Wednesday:
Q: Based on those numbers and the lack of votes cited by Senate leadership last week, AB57’s Jordan Tolbert asked Governor Braun—Why the push for redistricting?
Braun: “I think this is clearly, you know, a political maneuver. And all states have done it over time, and many have done it, you know, between censuses, redistricting. So here, I think when you look at the polling numbers, the important thing is about 80% of Republicans are for it, and Democrats obviously have gerrymandered Illinois to the point where of their 17 congressional seats, only three are Republican. In the last election, it went 47-53, that's way imbalanced. You look at the six bluest states in the country, next to California, there in the northeast, control about three times as many electoral votes as the six reddest, and they've been gerrymandered for decades. Then, when you count individuals into the pool, each congressional district’s about 750,000 individuals, and the amount of illegal immigrants that have been counted into that configuration is obviously distorting it to some extent in places like California, Illinois, and New York. So those are the underlying reasons. And Republicans have not been that aggressive at it. This is to kind of true up the playing field to where it's level. So I think when you look at Hoosier conservatives and Republicans, the more they understand that, that is why I think Pro Tem Bray pulled the plug on it, because just yesterday, half his caucus of Republicans voted not to adjourn. And to adjourn, he had to get Democrats to go along with him. That's the first time on a major policy or political issue that that's ever occurred in recent years. So that's where we're at. The other Republican states that have been asked to do it have done it quickly, and that would be Missouri, Texas, North Carolina, Utah, lots of places still to come. Indiana has been the only foot-dragger due to the Senate, because, you know, the House yesterday said they will come into session in early December to try to create fair maps, then that will be sent to the Senate. So we're early in the game, even though they appear to be digging in.”
Q: Why do you think the maps are not fair?
Braun: “Because the blue states have gerrymandered, and most of the uproar in Indiana would be Democrats coming to whatever that public discussion is, are moderate to liberal independents, a small portion of Republicans, the more they see the inherent unfairness that I described earlier, and the uproar is loud because they really can't do it any further. This is kind of like catching up. So I think that high priority from DC, Trump called the senators twice. JD Vance has been in the visit twice. So I'm fully behind that effort of evening the playing field. So it looks like it may be a done deal to not do it. There's still time and plenty of options to get it there, and yesterday, when they've had the first public discussion, you can see now there were a lot more senators for redistricting. There are another six or seven that, when you get it to a real public discussion, I think can get this over the finish line. If Bray keeps resisting it, it'll be solely his responsibility, and he will then be bucking the majority of his own Republican Caucus.”
Q: Why is it Indiana’s responsibility to make fair maps for the US?
Braun: “We're doing it for our own state. And you know, we're a 60/40, very red state, and this just reflects to where all of the districts would be reflecting that statewide fact, and it then, when you reconfigure it, you'd have every district being slightly more competitive to go either way, but it reflects the same thing that Democrats have done to their inherent advantage. Not to mention how you calculate how congressional districts are comprised, in terms of the number of people living in States due to illegal immigration. They've taken every trick out of the bag to do it. Republicans are just now seeing it. President Trump is wisely leading on evening the playing field. It's our participation in the electoral process that has been slanted the other way. That's why I think it's a responsible thing for Hoosiers to do.“
Q: ABC57’s Jordan Tolbert asked Governor Braun his thoughts on a Republican State Senator who says Republicans should focus on flipping Congressional District 1 instead of redrawing maps to get seats, because there is no guarantee that redrawing the maps will actually lead to Republicans winning those two seats.
Braun: “I'd say there's a bigger guarantee that we won't flip it, because it's been 96 years, it has gotten a little redder due to the fact that many Illinoisans frustrated with their policies, have moved into that first congressional district. But when we got close, I think two times before this, they poured tons of money in and made it impossible. They out fund us on the national level. When it comes to that kind of money, they're not going to give it up. It takes a long time to get it in that fashion, and again, we need to level the playing field to where all of our congressional districts are more competitive. And I don't think that's a good argument, because it's been 96 years, and it hasn't gotten to the point where that has happened.”
Q: ABC57’s Jordan Tolbert asked Governor Braun if he feels like there is a lot of pressure on him from President Trump right now, and how he rationalizes supporting the president's push to ‘primary’ state senators who don't support mid-decade redistricting, if those senators are catering to what polls say constituents want?
Braun: “I think, you know, when the leader of your party makes it a high priority, I'd be more worried about the Senate, and especially President Pro Tem Bray, you know, not letting this get to a public discussion in his caucus now that the house is doing it, to me That is a bigger issue than what you're talking about. And like I say, come in, do your job, talk about it in a public fashion. And I think we've still got a chance to get it through. There's enough time, and we'll keep working hard to do it.”