Indiana Sen. Jim Banks (R) expressed disappointment in his state’s Senate after it rejected a new House map that would favor the GOP.
“This was a missed opportunity,” Banks told host Jacqui Heinrich on “Fox News Sunday.” “I supported the president. I thought that midcycle redistricting in Indiana made sense.”
The Indiana Senate rejected the measure in a 31-19 vote on Thursday, with 21 Republicans joining 10 Democrats in opposition. President Trump had pushed for state lawmakers to approve a new map in the Hoosier State ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The president vowed Saturday morning to back primary challenges against Indiana Republicans who voted against the map, specifically state Sen. Rodric Bray, the state Senate GOP leader. The move threatens to splinter the party ahead of the midterms.
But Banks, a member of the state Senate from 2010 to 2016, backed such primary challenges, calling them “healthy” for the party. He also noted that he was elected to the Senate last year after receiving Trump’s endorsement.
“I’ll just tell you this: Donald Trump remains the most popular Republican in the state of Indiana. I’ve seen all of the recent polling. You don’t want to be on the other side of Donald Trump,” Banks said Sunday.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) also offered to help Trump in his quest to primary Indiana Republicans who voted against the measure, saying Thursday, “Ultimately, decisions like this carry political consequences.”
The proposed map would have allowed the GOP to increase its advantage in Indiana from 7-2 to 9-0. It was drawn up after Republican-led states across the country, such as Texas and Missouri, redrew their own maps with the president’s support.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) responded this summer by backing a successful ballot initiative to temporarily transfer control of redistricting in the Golden State from an independent commission to the state Legislature.
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