The prospects of President Donald Trump getting a new Indiana congressional map have been revived as state Senate Republicans on Tuesday reversed their refusal to meet next month.
Minutes after the Indiana House speaker announced the chamber’s return to the Statehouse on Monday to take up redistricting, the Senate’s leader said it would meet beginning Dec. 8 to “make a final decision on any redistricting proposal sent from the House.”
House Speaker Todd Huston said in a statement released Tuesday that “House Republicans will gavel in on Monday, Dec. 1, reconvening the 2026 regular session. All legislative business will be considered beginning next week, including redrawing the state’s congressional map.”
No proposed maps have been released as of Tuesday afternoon by legislative leaders showing how the General Assembly might accede to Trump’s wish for Republican-led states to draw more GOP-friendly U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The move presents an intra-Republican Party challenge to the state Senate, where Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray has declared too few senators are in support for redistricting to pass.
But Bray confirmed Tuesday the chamber will convene: “The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state. To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene.”
Trump and Gov. Mike Braun have made political threats against recalcitrant Republican senators — and a House vote in favor of new Indiana maps could ratchet up the pressure on those senators.
Trump on Tuesday celebrated the House and Senate announcements after he had repeatedly blasted Bray and other Senate redistricting foes, threatening to support Republican primary challengers against senators who crossed him.
“I am glad to hear the Indiana House is stepping up to do the right thing, and I hope the Senate finds the Votes,” Trump said in a social media post. “If they do, I will make sure that all of those people supporting me win their Primaries, and go on to Greatness but, if they don’t, I will partner with the incredibly powerful MAGA Grassroots Republicans to elect STRONG Republicans who are ready to do what is needed to protect our Country and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
About a dozen incidents of swatting, intimidation and bomb threats were reported by lawmakers and the governor last week. Indiana State Police are still investigating.
Republican Rep. Ed Soliday, of Valparaiso, called the incidents “disgusting and repulsive.”
“Anybody associated with it, they come to me with anything, and I will kill their bill,” he told the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
“Good people being dragged through the mud just because they speak their conscience. Death threats — it’s just wrong, and I’m not the only one,” he continued. “Redistricting or not, behavior matters, and this is just flat wrong. So, if you’re on the redistricting side and you don’t like the way I vote, please primary me.”
He said he’d “do what’s right.” But when asked to clarify his position on redistricting, he said, “none of your f****** business.”
Last week, the House and Senate both set Jan. 5 as the date lawmakers would start the new legislative session — not on Dec. 1, as previously planned.
But Huston instructed House members to remain prepared for a possible return to the Statehouse during the first two weeks of December. He told reporters the House had enough support to pass redistricting and that it was “prepared” to act.
Redistricting supporters want Indiana lawmakers to craft a map with all nine of the state’s congressional districts favoring Republicans. Those would be based on 2020 census data, like the current maps.
Those were drawn by Republicans in 2021 and maintained a 7-2 GOP majority — with Democrat Frank Mrvan holding the 1st District in northwestern Indiana and Democrat André Carson holding the 7th District, which covers much of Indianapolis.
Trump started the national redistricting fight by pushing Texas Republicans to redraw its congressional map this summer. The pressure on Indiana Republicans has included trips in August and October by Vice President JD Vance to Indianapolis.
Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder denounced Senate Republicans, saying that “the moment Donald Trump intensified his bullying campaign, they caved.”
“Our democracy does not survive when fear becomes policy,” Yoder said. “It does not survive when a state abandons its own people to serve the ambitions of one man. It does not survive when politicians cheat to win, cutting voters completely out of the process.”
Braun praised the House and Senate decisions to take up redistricting.
“This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly convening to vote on fair maps,” Braun said in a social media post. “ Hoosiers deserve to have fair representation in Washington and now the General Assembly needs to deliver a 9-0 map which will help level the playing field.”
Legislative Democrats have too few members to prevent a congressional redistricting if Republicans remain largely united on new maps.
Public polls and the turnout at town halls have indicated voter opposition to the redistricting push.
House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta blasted the Republican plan for taking up the proposal.
“Hoosiers have already said loud and clear that they don’t want redistricting,” he said in a statement.” Why are we wasting valuable time and resources on this when we could be lowering costs for Hoosiers? Under the Republican supermajority in the House, Hoosiers have been faced with decades of decay. They deserve better, and House Democrats plan to prioritize their needs this session.”
During a video news conference Tuesday afternoon, GiaQuinta indicated his caucus may not show up in December, emphasizing the previously agreed-upon date.
“The motion said that we will be reconvening on Jan. 5, at 1:30. And that’s my understanding as to when we are to return,” he told reporters.
GiaQuinta cited the House’s rules. A line there reads that the chamber shall convene at the time provided in a successful motion, but that it can be changed with the agreement of both the speaker and minority leader.
GiaQuinta said he wasn’t consulted – just informed of the new date in a call with Huston on Tuesday morning.
But House Republicans have cited a provision in Indiana Code. During the regular session, the law says, the General Assembly shall adjourn until either the day specified in a concurrent resolution, or when both chambers gavel in with a quorum.
The House GOP is a supermajority, meaning that Democrats aren’t needed for a quorum.
The early gavel-in carries a price tag — but legislative leaders argue that reconvening in December won’t increase the overall cost of the 2026 session, since both chambers now plan to finish their work by the end of February, rather than in mid-March.
Legislative staff noted that each chamber is currently scheduled to meet for one week at a time.
Once a chamber convenes, members are eligible for the full legislative business per diem of $213 per day. Those who commute from outside Marion County additionally qualify for mileage reimbursements at 70 cents per mile.
Lawmakers’ salaries are fixed annual payments that don’t change based on whether they come in early for a session. The per-diem is a separate reimbursement for meals and lodging while engaged in legislative business.
If the entire 100-member House shows up, the daily per-diem bill adds up to $21,300. For the chamber, a five-day week would total roughly $106,500 in per diems for all members. For the 50-member Senate, one week would cost $10,650 per day for the full chamber, adding up to roughly $53,250 for all members over five days.
Mileage payments vary depending on where lawmakers live. Those who commute from outside Marion County additionally qualify for mileage reimbursements at 70 cents per mile.
For one week of session, the combined total for both chambers would be approximately $159,750, not including mileage.
A special session in Indiana in 2022 cost about $240,000, with both chambers meeting for two weeks.