Buttigieg rallies Indiana Democrats against redistricting amid GOP pressure

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rallied Democrats against redistricting in his home state Thursday as Republican lawmakers weighed new congressional maps amid mounting national pressure.

Buttigieg, a 2028 hopeful who rose from mayor of South Bend to the national stage after launching his 2020 campaign, framed the issue as a test of fairness for Indiana voters. Indiana Republicans have been slower than counterparts in Texas, Missouri, and California to redraw districts, but pressure from Washington and from former President Donald Trump has intensified calls to act in favor of a GOP favored map. Trump has argued that a mid-decade redraw could help the party regain House control in 2026, countering Democratic gains in recent elections.

A large crowd gathered inside the statehouse to hear Buttigieg, with attendees expressing support for a fair mapping process. Judy Jessup, an Indianapolis resident, said the voters should get to choose politicians, not the other way around. Buttigieg is the biggest Democratic voice to come out of Indiana in recent memory and, after serving as secretary of transportation under the Biden administration, has since relocated to Traverse City, Michigan.

First-term Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said Tuesday that a legislative session on redistricting probably will happen and could come as soon as November, though he said he would not call a special session unless there is a credible path to passage. Braun said he wants it to be organic. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers, meaning Democrats could not derail a special session by boycotting, as has occurred in other states. The GOP currently controls seven of Indiana’s nine House seats, with Democrats holding the 1st and 7th.

Observers say the party would target the 1st District, a Democratic-leaning seat that includes Gary and other suburbs near Chicago, and the 7th District, which covers Marion County and much of Indianapolis. State Sen. Andrea Hunley, who represents parts of Indianapolis, argued that redrawing those districts would dilute Black voters and called the plan a racist power grab aimed at silencing voters who look like her.

The Indiana debate sits within a broader, nationwide push around mid-decade redistricting. While Texas and Missouri have moved to add seats favorable to Republicans, California Democrats are pursuing a countervailing map ahead of a November 4 referendum on new U.S. House districts to offset Texas wins. Utah and Ohio may also see new maps soon, and other states including Florida, Kansas, Maryland and New York are weighing mid-decade changes as well. The pressure reflects a national orchestration around how districts could shape the balance of power in Congress ahead of the 2026 elections, with Indiana positioned as a key test case given its political leanings and the GOP control of the legislature.

Buttigieg’s public advocacy in Indiana underscores the stakes for a potential 2028 presidential bid, with his profile rising on the national stage after his 2020 campaign and his tenure as transportation secretary. In Indiana, Democrats see redistricting as a litmus test of the state’s political climate and the capacity of the party to mobilize voters around fairness in representation.