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A major victory in President Donald Trump’s nationwide redistricting plan is putting pressure on more Republican leaders to fall in line.
After 21 Indiana Republican senators joined with 10 Democrats to reject a new congressional map favoring the GOP in last year, Trump responded by endorsing a series of new challengers to take their seats in January, according to The Hill.
The results of that endorsement bore fruit on Tuesday (May 5) when five of those senators were defeated in the Indiana primary. Roughly $12 million was spent on the Trump-backed candidates across the state’s seven races, per the outlet.
One of the senators, Greg Walker, stood by his decision to reject the redistricting plan, telling Meet the Press NOW host Kristen Welker on Wednesday (May 6) that his vote received “90 percent approval” among his constituents.
“I think this was meant to be a clear message of retribution,” he said. “We had various reasons why we supported or rejected it, but it’s clearly meant to be a message sent to the nation that you will pay a dear price.”
Now, more states that were previously opposed to Trump on redistricting are being pressured to change their tune.
After the GOP-controlled South Carolina successfully passed a resolution on Wednesday to add redistricting to the Legislature’s agenda following the regular session, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told Politico that Trump called him several times to encourage him to take up the resolution. The new map would effectively erase the lone district represented by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn.
“It was very cordial – no real pressure – but he clearly expressed his desire that we take a look at the maps now, especially in light of the Supreme Court,” Massey said. “I’m concerned that if you get cute with this, and you start playing with it too much, that you could actually end up losing seats,” he said. “I don’t want to go through an effort like this and you end up being in the same spot.”
Republicans in other southern states have also begun planning redistricting efforts in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on a Louisiana redistricting proposal last month.
On Tuesday, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves called for a May 20 special session to be held at the Old Capitol Building, according to Mississippi Today. Black lawmakers worry the session will erase Mississippi’s only Democratic district in the majority-Black Jackson area, represented by Rep. Bennie Thompson.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall requested that a district court lift an injunction preventing the state from redrawing congressional maps through 2030 on Tuesday as well, according to The Alabama Reflector.
Lawmakers in Tennessee held a special session on Wednesday, where they unveiled a map that would also erase the state’s lone, majority-Black district. According to NBC News, the State Senate passed the measure on Thursday (May 7), which Gov. Bill Lee is expected to sign into law. State troopers reportedly forcefully removed protestors who opposed the measure during the unveiling session, denying public input.
“Each state is different. You can’t just take what has happened in Indiana and place it onto another state,” a senior White House official who asked to remain anonymous reportedly told Politico on Wednesday. “I will say, people should follow what the president wants. His political instincts are so good. He knows what works. He knows what doesn’t work. And from a political standpoint, they should probably heed what he wants.”
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