Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun said he does not plan to call another special session to pursue early redistricting, signaling an end to a months-long political battle that has dominated state politics.
In a year-end interview, Braun told State Affairs the effort has run its course.
"I think that ship has sailed in the sense that that won't occur due to the number of votes," he said Tuesday.
The comments come after the Indiana Senate last week voted 31-19 against redrawing the state's congressional districts, making Indiana the first Republican-controlled legislature to reject a redistricting proposal this cycle.
More than 20 Republicans joined Democrats in voting down the proposal, delivering a decisive blow to the redistricting push.
"It gives you a stark picture of how half of the Senate was out of sync with most Hoosier Republicans, what was happening in other states (and) requests from the administration," Braun told WTHR.
After previously leaving the door open, Braun now says the issue is finished for this legislative session.
"I don't think that can be resurrected in this session," the governor said. "You let it rest there, and then you focus on the things we have under our control."
Braun's remarks follow a months-long political fight in Indiana over whether to redraw the state's congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, a dispute that drew national attention and pressure from the Trump administration.
Braun called a rare special legislative session in late October to consider midcycle redistricting, aligning with President Donald Trump and White House allies who argued Republicans should act quickly to secure additional U.S. House seats as Democrats pursue similar efforts in other states.
Braun and Indiana GOP leaders held multiple meetings with Trump allies, including Vice President JD Vance, in an attempt to rally support among state lawmakers for a new congressional map.
The effort quickly ran into resistance inside Indiana's Republican-controlled Senate. While the party holds a strong majority, several GOP lawmakers publicly warned there were not enough votes to pass a mid-decade redistricting plan.
Some cited concerns about breaking with the traditional post-census redistricting process, while others raised alarms about political backlash and the appearance of federal pressure influencing state decisions.
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