Indiana state Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, told Newsmax on Thursday she was "devastated" by her colleagues' decision to reject a House-backed congressional redistricting plan.
Analysts were confident that the plan could have given Republicans as many as two additional U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterms.
The Indiana Senate voted 31-19 earlier Thursday to defeat the map. Twenty-one Republicans joined all 10 Democrats to block a proposal that would have dismantled the state's two Democrat-held districts.
The move delivered an unexpected setback to President Donald Trump, who publicly urged lawmakers to adopt the plan amid a nationwide redistricting push for GOP-led states.
Brown told "Rob Schmitt Tonight" and guest host Bob Brooks that she is still "processing" the outcome, calling it unlike anything she has seen in her time in office.
"It was devastating. That's all I can say. I have never seen anything like it," she said.
Brown noted that Indiana is one of the nation's most reliably Republican states, having backed Trump in three straight presidential elections while maintaining supermajorities in both legislative chambers and a Republican governor.
Given that political reality, she said she cannot understand why Senate Republicans refused to advance a map the GOP-controlled House had passed.
"I just cannot believe in a state that is so red ... we have 40 Republican senators and only 10 Democratic senators and a Republican governor, and the House passed it and we couldn't get it done," Brown said. "I can't explain it."
Some conservatives have suggested that prominent Indiana Republicans — including former Gov. Mitch Daniels and strategist Cam Savage — might have lobbied behind the scenes against redistricting.
Brown said she had no knowledge of such discussions.
"If they were, they didn't talk to me," she said, noting she supported the new map from the start.
Brown said she believes many GOP colleagues either misunderstood the stakes or were influenced by outside pressure.
"Some people just said, 'We don't need to do this. It will all work itself out,'" Brown said. "I don't think they understand what this means, how thin our majority [in the House] is. ... Democrats have been crushing us for years, and we finally poked our head out of the sand and realized we need to do this.
"Our voices are being lost. It should have been such an easy vote."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.