NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) — Voices echoed outside the Grand Theatre in New Albany on Monday morning as protesters rallied against possible changes to Indiana’s congressional map.
“No redistricting! No redistricting!” the crowd chanted, waving homemade signs criticizing what they called partisan gerrymandering.
Among them was Kevin McDonald, who said he’s long been an active voter but had never taken to the streets until now.
Protesters rallied against possible changes to Indiana’s congressional map outside the Grand Theatre in New Albany, Indiana, where Gov. Mike Braun was speaking on Nov. 3, 2025. (WDRB photo)
“I've always done my civic duty and voted in every election,” McDonald said. “I haven't gotten out on the streets like this — but I’m much more active now because it just feels unfair.”
McDonald said the current map already favors Republicans and argued there’s no reason to make it more partisan.
“Look, we're seven out of nine already — that’s 77%,” he said. “It’s unfair.”
Inside the theatre, Gov. Mike Braun defended the push for new congressional lines, saying the changes are meant to “level the playing field.”
“You take our closest direct comparison — Massachusetts, same population,” Braun said. “They’ve gerrymandered that into where there hasn’t been a Republican congressional holder in a long, long time. You take the six bluest states that have almost triple the electoral votes of the six red states — they’ve only got maybe one or two Republican districts.”
The White House asked Indiana lawmakers to deliver a more Republican-friendly map. Braun originally called a special session to start Nov. 3.
A statement released by Senate Republicans said the special session will start the first week of December and last two weeks.
But questions remain about whether there’s enough support among Indiana Senate Republicans to make that happen.
“All I can tell you, there’s been a cascade among their caucus to say otherwise,” Braun said. “Once I said we were going to have a public discussion on it, you saw how many became public — and there are a lot of others keeping it private.”
Indiana redraws its congressional districts every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The process has long sparked debate over political fairness — and this year’s fight appears no different.
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