Why Indiana's Gerrymander Victory May Be Short-Lived

"It's a big deal that Republicans in Indiana's state Senate last week squashed President Trump's demands for a gerrymandered US House map that would have awarded the GOP a 9-0 congressional delegation in the state. Yes, the remaining map is still a GOP gerrymander. It ensures Republicans seven safe seats, which they won in 2024 by an average of 30 percentage points, despite netting just 58 percent of the statewide vote."

"A more balanced map would include as many as four districts within plausible reach of Democratic candidates. And yes, throughout the rest of the country, Republicans maintain the upper hand during this unprecedented mid-decade redistricting war. Perhaps most consequentially, the GOP supermajority on the US Supreme Court will have the deciding vote when it rules on a voting rights case from Louisiana, perhaps as soon as next month."

"No one should feel reassured at the likelihood that John Roberts can award the GOP a near-unbreakable grip on the House simply by doing two of his favorite things: rendering the Voting Rights Act unworkable and declaring that the way to end racial discrimination is to stop discrimination against white people. Nevertheless, let's be allowed a brief Mr. Smith moment. Authoritarianism thrives amid cowardice and fear. It relies on the bended knee from those who know better, whether members of Congress, the boards of Ivy League universities, partners at Paul, Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis, or the trembling overlords of CBS and ABC,"

Republican lawmakers in Indiana's state Senate blocked President Trump's push for a gerrymandered US House map that would have produced a 9-0 GOP delegation. The adopted map still secures seven safe Republican seats, which Republicans carried in 2024 by an average of 30 percentage points despite winning 58 percent of the statewide vote. A more balanced map could have created up to four districts within reach of Democratic candidates. Republicans retain a nationwide redistricting advantage, and the GOP supermajority on the Supreme Court could decide a Louisiana voting rights case that may weaken enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. Indiana Republicans resisted intense MAGA pressure, including in-person lobbying, digital campaigns, and threats.

Read at The Nation