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In a unexpected move, Indiana Republicans defeated a proposal to redistrict the state's U.S. House map on Thursday. This vote marks a clear rebuke of Donald Trump and broader GOP-led attempts to gerrymander electoral districts to benefit Republican candidates.

The Vote

The bill failed by a vote of 19 to 31. A notable coalition of twenty-one GOP lawmakers joined forces with 10 Democrats to block the proposed district maps.

Currently, GOP representatives hold 7 of Indiana's 9 congressional districts. The defeated redistricting scheme was crafted to favor GOP-leaning electorates in every single one of the House districts. This aimed to be accomplished through several key maneuvers:

• Carving up the liberal stronghold of Indianapolis into 4 separate districts.
• Adding slices of the city's electorate to adjacent solidly GOP districts.
• Breaking up the north-western congressional district, currently held by Frank Mrvan, into 2 separate districts.

Pivotal Republican

State Sen. Greg Goode, a crucial Republican defector, rejected the redistricting bill. In a detailed floor speech, he declared that his position was in line with the desires of his district.

"I am a Christian first, then an American citizen, then a conservative, then a Republican – in that sequence," he stated. "I'm certain that my vote aligns with the will of my district."

Broader Battle

This push in the Hoosier State took place amid a national drive by Donald Trump to influence the redrawing of district lines to add more Republican House seats before next year's midterms. The GOP currently hold a razor-thin lead in the U.S. House of Representatives and are widely projected to lose ground in the upcoming election.

Elsewhere, GOP lawmakers in Texas, North Carolina, and the Show-Me State have each passed districts to favor their party. At the same time, Democratic legislators have responded by adjusting maps in states like the Golden State to potentially gain several Democratic seats. The Democratic party in the Commonwealth of Virginia are also ready to redraw their maps for Democratic advantage.

High-Stakes Lobbying

The former president waged a bare-knuckled push to lobby Indiana GOP lawmakers to pass the map. Vice President J.D. Vance allegedly visited the Indiana Statehouse multiple times to lobby lawmakers.

In a statement on his Truth Social, Trump expressed his anger on Wednesday evening. "All other State has done redistricting, readily, openly, and without issue. There was never a question in their mind that helping to secure a victory in the midterms for the Republican Party was a good thing to do for our party, and for America itself," he posted. "Unfortunately, Indiana Senate Leader Senator Rod Bray enjoys being the sole individual in the United States who is against Republicans gaining extra seats, in Indiana’s instance, 2 of them."

Threats and Attacks

In the lead-up to the vote, Indiana state Republicans reportedly received death threats and swatting incidents. Furthermore, VP JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. publicly criticized Senator Rod Bray (R) ahead of the Thursday roll call.

The advocacy group Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, also issued a statement, warning on Thursday that the state would be stripped of congressional funds if it failed to pass the redistricting plan. Their statement implied that key state projects and services would be halted.