Redistricting

Democratic Elkhart Common Council Member Aaron Mishler says the proposed congressional district maps released Monday by Indiana House Republicans seem to violate the Voting Rights Act by splitting Elkhart's white and non-white voting populations.

In a Facebook post Friday, Senator Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores) said he has a daughter with Down Syndrome, adding, “This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences.”

While congressional redistricting has been making headlines, Indiana communities have also been looking at how they draw their own council district maps. Bloomington, Monroe County, Goshen and now Valparaiso have established citizen-led redistricting commissions.

“As a human being, two things can happen,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Highland). “You can either coil, or you become motivated. I’m extremely motivated.”

Democrat Jamee Decio, daughter of the late businessman and philanthropist Art Decio, says she moved back to Elkhart from Los Angeles in April to run for the Indiana U.S. House Disrict 2 seat held by Republican Rep. Rudy Yakym.

South Bend residents will gather Wednesday to write letters opposing mid-decade redistricting, part of a statewide effort to push back on new map proposals.

Senator Linda Rogers (R-Granger) says she’s not ready to announce publicly which way she’ll vote. "I am really just taking my time," Rogers said Thursday. "I am evaluating the positives, the negatives and listening to constituents."

Indiana Democrats hope they’re just a few weeks away from avoiding a congressional redistricting attempt.

“Every day, every week, it moves in that direction because when you look at our political competitors, they’re pretty well gerrymandered across every state they control,” Braun told reporters in Elkhart County on Wednesday.

Rep. Rudy Yakym, who could owe his seat to redistricting, says he wants Indiana to move forward mid-decade, for the first time, to redraw congressional maps so that Republicans will gain seats in Congress.