Indiana Lawmakers Swayed on Redistricting After Meeting in DC
Kendall: “Do you think they sent these people to Washington D.C. because Vance was going to be wowed by Jim Lucas’ charm and charisma?”
Momentum is building among Indiana legislators to reshape the state’s congressional districts, spurred in part by continued pressure from the White House.
A group of Indiana Republican lawmakers traveled to Washington, D.C. yesterday, where they met with Vice President J.D. Vance and other members of the Trump administration to discuss advancing the president’s priorities — redistricting among them.
The president did not take part in the four-hour session held Aug. 26 at the Eisenhower building, which drew roughly 60 lawmakers. According to Politico, Trump later held a private Oval Office meeting with Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Rodric Bray.
The visit appeared to change the minds of Republican lawmakers who previously expressed opposition to redistricting.
“I’m not as opposed to it as I was,” state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, told IndyStar after he left the meeting.
Lucas also commented on Vance’s input in the meeting.
“Yes, he did talk about redistricting,” Lucas said. “There were a lot of fascinating points he brought up that I was not aware of. A lot of food for thought. … (There are) things that we can do to help President Trump after this midterm election so that he can enact a lot of his policies.”
Kendall and Casey weigh in:
