Democracy ‘in danger’ with mid-census redistricting

Former American transport secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said during a rally Thursday that the Republicans of Indiana probably plan to redjust the middle of the century because they are ashamed of their policies, which attracted strong songs of “shame” of the crowd gathered inside the state capitol.

“It is time for all of us to encourage our republican friends in this Statehouse to show a backbone before it is too late,” said Buttigieg. “They could always do the right thing. If they do, we should give them a credit.

Returning to his days as mayor of South Bend, Buttigieg said that local politicians could not draw voting cards in their favor. Mayors and local officials must face the voters on election day, he said.

“When you are mayor, you have to enter, do work and stand in front of everyone in an election and be judged on your results. This is how each election is supposed to operate in the United States of America,” said Buttigieg. “It is not only an academic principle. It is the idea that began our whole country. This is what makes America, America.”

While the Trump administration pressure on the Republican States, including Indiana, to redirect the Census world, Buttigieg took the floor during a gathering of the Democratic Party of Indiana and a press conference on Thursday to emphasize that the foundation of American democracy “is in danger”.

“Indiana republicans are under pressure by Washington Republicans to do something they know in their hearts is false,” said Buttigieg. “They are forced to change the rules so that the voters no longer have. They know it’s bad, and we know why they do it. ”

The agenda of the federal government “is so unpopular” that they are afraid of running on fair cards, said Buttigieg. He referred to the reduction of Medicaid and food coupons, passing tax reductions for the rich and wounded union workers due to commercial wars.

“These policies and results are not a winning message,” said Buttigieg. “Where I grew up, which happens here in Indiana, if what you do does not work, you think what you are doing. Instead of changing their policies or trying to get better results, they decided to change the card instead.”

All voters should rally behind the redistribution of the middle of the century, because if this happens, it will cut them from the electoral process, said Buttigieg. Republicans at the national level “want the elections to be decided even before they can vote,” said Buttigieg.

“They want it to be one of these countries where you don’t even have to wait for the results to know how the vote will take place,” said Buttigieg.

President Donald Trump and the national Republicans put pressure on the red states to change their congress cards before the 2026 elections to increase republican control of the American chamber.

Vice-President JD Vance came to Indianapolis in August to speak to the Republican leaders of the Rediscovering. Republican legislators were also invited to the White House after Vance’s visit, where the redistribution was also discussed, said Chamber Todd Huston, R-Fishers.

Texas legislators have recently approved redistacted cards to include five new districts that would promote Republicans. The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, signed the new cards, but a trial has already been filed against Abbott and the secretary of state for the cards.

After Texas began its redistribution process, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a special election that will take place in November so that residents voted on a redesigned congress map designed to help Democrats win five other seats in the Chamber next year.

Meanwhile, Trump has pushed other states controlled by the Republicans, including Indiana and Missouri, to also revise their cards to add more republican seats. The Ohio Republicans also had to revise their cards to make them more partisan.

It is unusual that redistribution takes place in the middle of the decade and generally occurs once at the beginning of each decade to coincide with the census.

Indiana was restarted for the last time in 2021, which left the Republicans of the Congress with seven seats and democrats with two seats. The two democratic seats are the first district, owned by the American representative Frank Mrvan, and the seventh district, owned by the American representative André Carson.

State. Senator Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, said at the Rally Thursday that the two districts that Les Républicains would consider for redistribution, the first and seventh districts have many black voters.

“We are going to call this for what it is: it is a racist takeover to silence the voters who look like me,” said Hunley, a black woman. “I also know that things are really hard at the moment. But, we hold on the shoulders of the ancestors and the fighters of freedom which have already been here and who have already done the work. ”

Hoosiers must oppose the redistribution of the middle of the century because “too many people in our state favor the proximity of power over the public service”.

“They want to set up a power outlet. They want to set up a cheating scandal,” said Hunley.

The mayor of Terre Haute, Brandon Sakbun, said during the rally that Hoosier workers were underpaid, high school students did not “a direct pipeline” for employment and public services are increasing, but the state republicans are considering a special session to discuss discount.

“I ask our elected colleagues … to speak with moral clarity, to understand what the inhabitants of Indiana really need, to listen to voters, to have a dialogue and to deliver to the HOOSIER people,” said Sakbun.

akukulka@post-trib.com