Submitted by ReCenter Indiana
Pressure on Indiana’s governor and lawmakers to reshuffle the state’s congressional districts has only intensified since the leader of the State Senate declined to put the measure on a fast track next month.
The goal of the arm-twisting is at odds with public sentiment at a series of three listening sessions unfolding just before the Senate decision. The nonpartisan gatherings in Morgan, Marion, and Hamilton counties between Oct. 30 and Nov. 13 were the only in-person opportunities for residents to share direct feedback on redistricting outside of the town halls hosted by elected officials.
At all three sessions, Hoosiers made one message unmistakably clear: they don’t support calls from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Gov. Mike Braun to eliminate the only two Democrats among Indiana’s nine-member delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Instead, citizens attending the gatherings said they overwhelmingly want lawmakers to address the issues affecting their daily lives – especially rising healthcare costs, food insecurity, public education, and environmental protection.
ReCenter Indiana Inc., a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, hosted the sessions to gather community input on the proposed off-cycle redistricting and to hear the concerns that matter most to residents. Nearly 150 Hoosiers participated in discussions and live polling at events in Martinsville, Beech Grove, and Fishers.
Listening session participants opposed off-cycle redistricting nearly unanimously. That position mirrors three recent surveys on behalf of the organizations Count Us IN, Indiana Conservation Voters, and Independent Indiana. Several state legislators of both parties said their constituents were telling them the same thing.
On Nov. 13, the day of ReCenter Indiana’s listening session in Fishers, state Sen. Kyle Walker (R-Fishers) publicly rejected the push for redistricting, citing constituent feedback.
“I’ve spent the past several months listening closely to my constituents on mid-decade redistricting,” Walker said. “With 93 percent opposed, and as their voice in the Indiana Senate, I’ll be voting no.”
At ReCenter Indiana’s Fishers listening session, 100 percent of attendees were against redistricting. In Beech Grove, 97 percent were opposed. In Martinsville, 96 percent voiced opposition. Across the three sessions, 84 to 92 percent of attendees said they would not vote for an elected official who supported redistricting.
Participants were also asked to identify their top priorities for the 2025 legislative session. According to Don Knebel, board president of ReCenter Indiana, the responses were strikingly consistent across communities.
“Hoosiers want lawmakers to address real issues,” Knebel said. “Similar concerns rose to the top at all three listening sessions. This gives Indiana elected officials a clear priority list to act on behalf of the people they are sworn to serve.”
Listening session participants named these as their top issues:
- Healthcare access and affordability
- Cost of living and the economy
- Support for public education
- Environmental protection
Notably, participants in every session also named protecting democracy and reducing political polarization as major concerns. When asked how they feel about the current state of Indiana politics, the most common responses were “dismal,” “angry,” and “discouraged.” ReCenter Indiana’s sessions featured a straightforward educational presentation from Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis.
ReCenter Indiana invited elected officials from both major parties. Four state lawmakers – three Democrats and one Republican – did attend.
ReCenter Indiana now is submitting these findings to state legislators and urging elected officials to stay grounded in the needs of their constituents.
“Across every community we visited, neighbors were overwhelmingly opposed to redistricting and instead urged lawmakers to focus on the issues that matter most,” Knebel said. “ReCenter Indiana commends the Indiana Senate for prioritizing the voices of Hoosiers over those who don’t live here and don’t understand Hoosier issues, and we thank the people across the state who stood up and spoke out.”
Graphic provided by ReCenter Indiana