'Resist this power grab:' Indiana House Democrats join Texas House Dems in redistricting solidarity

CHICAGO - At a podium with a banner touting "stop the Texas steal," Indiana House Democrats joined Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives in a news conference in Chicago surrounding what they call an "unprecedented mid-decade redistricting" effort in both states.




According to previous reports, this joint news conference was announced as members of the Republican Party are pushing states to consider redistricting efforts before the 2026 midterm elections.

This comes after Vice President J.D. Vance met with Indiana Governor Mike Braun in a closed-door meeting earlier this month. One of the topics broached during the conversation included Indiana redistricting efforts, specifically surrounding the two districts that have Democratic representatives, Districts 1 and 7, represented by U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind. District 1 and U.S. Rep. André Carson, D-Ind. District 7, respectively.








In Texas, state Democratic lawmakers have aimed to stop efforts to redraw its congressional map. The overall goal of the White House is to give Republicans an easier path to maintain a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.




During Wednesday afternoon's conference, Indiana Rep. Cherrish Pryor, a Democrat from Indianapolis, said that the redistricting effort should trouble every American, stating that the efforts to redistrict in the middle of a decade are "morally corrupt."




"This behavior we are seeing today, we would not expect from this country," Pryor said. "We would expect that from a dictatorship, not from the United States of America. We have always taken pride in our constitution and what it stands for."




Pryor said she believes that members of the Republican Party are having these conversations at the federal level because they "know" that the policies are "failing."




"To hold on to their power and to keep Donald Trump happy, they want to redraw the districts in mid-decade," Pryor said.








Indiana State Rep. Ed Delaney, a Democrat from Indianapolis, joined Pryor and other Indiana Democrats in praising the Texas Democrats for their efforts. Delaney said that he does not "want to play this game" in the state of Indiana," calling Vance's request for redistricting "congressional-level shoplifting."




"Never in my life did I think the Vice President of the United States would come to my state to ask... to shoplift two congressional districts," he said, "steal them off the shelves, run outside and wave them in front of the country.




"This has got to stop," he continued." "These are the people who are going to try to put it to a stop. I know how hard it is but we need to support them and stand with them. Otherwise, our people will be subjected to ever-changing districts, none of which are representative."




Texas State Rep. Gene Wu, a Democrat from Houston, stated that the "racist, unconstitutional" gerrymandering effort in Texas has the potential to reach other states across the country. Wu stressed the importance of other red states to take more aggressive actions against this redistricting effort.




"People are ready to stand up," Wu said. "...This is not a fight that we can sustain and win on our own." 




In a statement following the conference, Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Talian said that these efforts show that Republicans "can't win the next election without changing the rules."




"After 21 years of Republican rule in Indiana, utility bills and grocery prices are skyrocketing and our healthcare system is hanging by a thread - no wonder they'd rather cheat than face the voters fair and square," Tallian said.




To move forward with redistricting efforts in the state of Indiana, Braun would have to call a special session of the Indiana General Assembly.





via: https://fox59.com/indianapolitics/resist-this-power-grab-indiana-house-democrats-join-texas-house-dems-in-redistricting-solidarity/