Mitch Daniels Urges Indiana GOP to Resist Push for Redistricting
Former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (R) on Wednesday called on Republicans in his state to resist pressure from President Trump to alter congressional maps in favor of the GOP.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Daniels wrote, “My home state of Indiana is on the national Republican target list for new lines, as part of the quest to ensure continued control of the House. While the outcome sought is one I support, the tactic being employed to get there is not, and I hope earnestly that my state’s leaders will politely decline to participate.”
According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, Republicans in the state Senate currently lack enough support to redraw the congressional map. Five GOP senators are in favor, three oppose the move, and the remaining 40 have either not commented or remain undecided.
Daniels cautioned state lawmakers not to “cave to White House pressure to redistrict,” emphasizing that while he supports the political goal, he rejects the approach.
“‘We’ll be punished by the administration if we don’t cooperate,’” Daniels wrote. “That sounds like the reaction to some puffed-up White House apparatchik’s mouthing off, but in any event it’s a bluff that a self-respecting state ought to call.”
He noted that Republicans already hold a supermajority in Indiana and argued that no “amount of line-drawing artistry” could realistically flip the 1st Congressional District.
“The attempt, which might not even work, would, I’m convinced, come at the expense of public disgust,” Daniels continued. “Hoosiers, like most Americans, place a high value on fairness and react badly to its naked violation.”
The push for redistricting follows recent GOP successes in Texas and North Carolina, where new maps helped the party gain additional congressional seats. Democrats in California are reportedly attempting similar efforts to strengthen their position.
Daniels closed his piece by acknowledging the difficult position facing Indiana’s leaders but urged them to resist national party pressure. “I do not underestimate the pressure Indiana’s leaders are under, and I empathize with them in the predicament they face, but I hope they’ll quietly and respectfully pass on this idea,” he wrote.
“Their duty is to the citizens and the future of our state, not to a national political organization or a temporary occupant of the White House,” Daniels concluded. “And doing the right thing, by the way, really would be its own reward.”
