Republicans push for early redistricting in Indiana, Gov. Braun remains noncommittal

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Indiana Governor Mike Braun is among others facing pressure from the president and other top national Republicans to have the state's congressional maps redrawn.

To do so, the governor would have to call a special legislative session, which would be quite an unprecedented move as there's nothing like it in Indiana's state history. But Braun says it's not a move he will make without the support of Indiana's lawmakers.

"We seem to be in a place where we could, it's a question if we will," Braun said in an Aug. 18 interview with Indianapolis ABC station, WRTV. "If you look at it... We could create nine republican districts."

Some Hoosier lawmakers spent time discussing President Trump's agenda in Washington, D.C., this week.

"They are being asked to get any seat that they can for the president's party so that he can continue to enact his agenda," said Elizabeth Bennion, Indiana University South Bend chancellor and professor of political science.

Only two of Indiana's nine congressional seats are Democratic, but those are the seats now targeted.

Indiana's Republicans are showing support so far for the effort with District 3 Representative Marlin Stutzman stating, "There's a lot of conversations that are happening, but I think as legislatures are starting to understand what states like California have done, what Illinois has already done, there's a time and a point where you have to say, 'Look, this is not the way we want to play, but if you're going to play by this sort of a game, we have the ability to do the same thing.'"

Indiana's Democrats, meanwhile, are ringing alarm bells, calling this an illegal power grab in what some say is an already gerrymandered state.

"Mathematically, Republicans are overrepresented in the congressional delegation and in the statehouse," Bennion said.

Bennion explained Braun won 54 percent of the vote in his gubernatorial race, and President Trump won 59 percent. Meanwhile, republicans make up 70 percent of the statehouse.

"[They are] saying, maybe we need to go back and redraw the lines because they're not gerrymandered enough. Maybe we could get eight seats or nine seats," Bennion said. "But what you are doing in that case, you are denying a voice for anybody who voted for democrats."

A Change Research survey shows many Hoosiers oppose redistricting efforts in the state with only 34 percent in support redistricting.

"What you're saying as a representative is, you're okay if the minority party in our state, even if it's roughly 40 percent of the people, if they have no voice," Bennion said.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is sticking with his party and is now calling the 2020 census "flawed."