In a 31-19 vote, Indiana’s controversial early redistricting push hit an unexpected wall Thursday, as the state Senate declined to move forward with a vote that would have finalized a new congressional map targeting the state’s two Democratic-held districts in Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis.
The House passed the plan earlier this week, but the Senate’s refusal to advance it may stop the effort altogether.
The proposal would have reshaped Indiana’s 1st and 7th congressional districts by adding several rural, majority-white counties whose political priorities differ sharply from Gary and Indianapolis. Critics argued the shift would weaken the voting strength of communities of color and make meaningful representation harder to access. Supporters said the change was needed to reflect population shifts, but opponents called it a direct attempt to diminish two of the state’s few Democratic strongholds…