Republicans stall redistricting efforts in Indiana and Kansas
The article discusses the stalled efforts by republicans in Indiana and Kansas to pass new congressional redistricting maps aimed at securing greater GOP advantage for the 2026 elections. Despite pressure from national Republican leaders and the White House, state legislatures in both states lack sufficient support within their own parties to approve the new maps. In Indiana, more than a dozen Republicans oppose mid-decade redistricting, with some citing concerns about political fairness and the creation of a precedent for frequent map changes.Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith criticized the Indiana Senate for not backing a fully republican map that would add seats. In Kansas, Republicans also face internal resistance, needing supermajorities to call special sessions and override potential vetoes from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. Some GOP members, including Representative Mark Schreiber, oppose mid-cycle redistricting, arguing maps should only change once per decade. Efforts to redraw Democratic Representative sharice Davids’s district have failed, as she has won recent elections decisively and publicly opposes the redistricting attempts, calling them unfair political maneuvers. The article highlights ongoing partisan conflicts over redistricting and the challenges within the Republican Party in advancing their goals.
Republicans stall redistricting efforts in Indiana and Kansas
The White House‘s attempts to sway Republicans in Indiana and Kansas have so far failed as the states’ legislatures don’t have the votes to pass the new maps.
Top Republicans have pushed for new congressional maps nationally to make keeping the House in 2026 easier.
The party has seen internal fighting among those who believe mid-decade redistricting should not be done. Democrats have often responded to Republican efforts with their own new map proposals, shifting the map conflict into a partisan war.
A spokesperson for state Senate Leader Rodric Bray’s office told the Associated Press that Republicans did not have the votes in the chamber necessary to pass new maps. With only 10 Democrats in the state Senate, it means more than a dozen Republicans oppose redistricting.
“We are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade — but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election,” Republican state Sen. Spencer Deery said in an August statement opposing redistricting.
Indiana GOP Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith slammed the Republican supermajority for “failing to stand with President Trump.”
“For years, it has been said accurately that the Indiana Senate is where conservative ideas from the House go to die,” he added. Beckwith called on them to “lead the nation” and craft a 9-0 Republican congressional map, adding two more Republican seats.
“Indiana Senate, let’s get this done now,” he concluded.
Vice President JD Vance visited the state in support of the redistricting effort earlier this month. Bray said his conversation with Vance was “fruitful and productive.”
Kansas Republicans are facing similar obstacles, with some Republicans refusing to advance redistricting, albeit with thinner margins. The state GOP needs a two-thirds majority in both the state House and Senate to force the special session needed to pass the maps.
Gov. Laura Kelly (D-KS) is opposed to the maps, and the chambers would also need their supermajorities to bypass her veto.
Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson has pushed his chamber to support the effort, but the state GOP doesn’t have the votes needed yet. Republican Kansas House Rep. Mark Schreiber said he opposes the effort.
He told the Associated Press that he “did not sign a petition to call a special session, and I have no plans to sign one.” Schreiber believes maps should only be adjusted once per decade. “Redistricting by either party in midcycle should not be done,” he said.
Republicans only stand to gain one House seat in the 3-1 Republican delegation: Rep. Sharice Davids’s (D-KS) seat. Davids represents part of the state’s most populous county, which contains Kansas City.
Kansas Republicans tried to redraw her district previously, but she’s been successful in the 2022 and 2024 elections. She won by more than 10 points in both elections.
DEMOCRATS TRY TO KEEP UP WITH REPUBLICANS IN NATIONAL REDISTRICTING WAR
She has pressed Republicans against the effort because she believes it’s an unpopular move.
“Rigging voting maps for political gain isn’t fair — and Kansans know it,” she wrote on X.
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