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Former Transportation Secretary and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg criticized Republican redistricting efforts at a Thursday rally in Indiana, accusing the other party of “cheating” in their attempts to redraw congressional maps.
“They want the outcome of the election to be decided before you even get to go vote,” Buttigieg said during the rally, which took place at the Indiana Statehouse.
Buttigieg added that state Republicans were “being pressured” into redistricting, which he said they knew “in their hearts” was wrong.
“And we know why they’re doing it, which is because the agenda of Washington Republicans is so unpopular that even here in Indiana they are afraid of losing if they have to run on a fair map,” Buttigieg continued.
Ahead of the 2026 midterms, several states have taken the unusual step of pursuing mid-decade redistricting to redraw voting districts in their favor and keep their dominant parties in power.
Texas GOP lawmakers began the national redistricting battle, sparking similar efforts in California, Missouri, Alabama, New York and other states.
But blue states face more obstacles in the redistricting fight than their red counterparts, making it harder for Democrats to set up more favorable congressional districts for themselves ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
While Texas Republicans decisively pushed forward in redrawing their maps this summer, Indiana Republicans have reportedly been less enthusiastic on the subject.
If Indiana does move forward with congressional redistricting, legislators would likely redraw its first and seventh congressional districts.
“Both of those districts are filled with Black voters,” state Sen. Andrea Hunley (D) said at the rally. “This is a racist power grab to silence voters who look like me.”
President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have strongly encouraged Republican leadership in Indiana to start redistricting in the state.
Vance spent several hours with Indian GOP lawmakers in early August building support for a redistricting push and Trump met privately with GOP representatives to discuss redistricting at the White House later that month.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) has said that a legislative session on redistricting would likely happen as early as November but unlike Texas lawmakers, he’s less inclined to call a special session for it.
“I want it to be organic,” he told WRTV in Indianapolis.
Buttigieg criticized Republicans for pursuing unpopular policies and using redistricting to maintain their influence.
“Where I grew up – which happens to be Indiana – if what you’re doing isn’t working, you rethink what you’re doing,” Buttigieg said. “But instead of changing their policies or trying to get better results, they decided to just try to change the map instead.”
