This week was an important one in the mid-decade redistricting fight. For the first time, a state legislature stood up to the White House and President Trump and rejected mid-decade redistricting. 

The vote wasn’t close. A majority of the Indiana Senate Republican caucus voted against eliminating Black representation and distorting their Congressional districts even more. 

Quick note: If you missed our statement on this important win of the Indiana legislature rejecting the mid-decade map, catch it here. 

Now, getting a majority of Republicans to reject DC party bosses and a president isn’t easy. But with education and organization, Common Cause and its allies in the ALL IN for Democracy coalition in Indiana spent months organizing Hoosiers to be put first on this issue.   

Here’s how Hoosiers exercised their power to secure this victory  

1. How Hoosiers Organized Against Mid-Decade Redistricting

When the White House first sent Vice President JD Vance to twist Indiana legislators’ arms on mid-decade redistricting, Common Cause drew a line in the sand – Nno mid-decade redistricting, because Hoosiers do not want it.

 And then, we worked to prove it. Within a few days of VP Vance’s first attempt to push mid-decade redistricting, we collected the signatures of thousands of Hoosiers telling their legislator to reject it.  

One week later, the ALL IN for Democracy coalition doubled those numbers. We delivered those 10,000 signatures directly to legislative leaders.  

The coalition released poll after poll showing Hoosiers rejected the idea – especially Republicans and independent voters. 

Three weeks after first collecting signatures opposing mid-decade redistricting, we doubled the number again. By the end of October, we had 40,000 signatures and counting from Hoosiers opposing mid-decade redistricting. 

We held rallies at the statehouse. We encouraged Hoosiers to go to legislator town halls and write or call their legislators. We dressed up our dogs as redistricting watch dogs. We said over and over and over again – Hoosiers don’t want this, just DC party bosses. Put Hoosiers first.  

In the end, the Indiana Senate did put Hoosiers first.  

2. Meeting DC bullying with Hoosier kindness 

Throughout this months-long ordeal, party bosses in DC threatened, bullied and invited harassment of Indiana legislators. Common Cause took a different approach.  

When VP Vance first arrived to bully, the ALL IN for Democracy coalition sent thank you notes to Indiana legislators for saying no thanks, because they knew their constituents rejected mid-decade redistricting.  

When the heat turned up with threats of primary opponents, we sent care packages to legislators again.  

Our coalition never made it personal with legislators – we just asked them to listen to their people. When they did, they heard clearly time and time again – NO on mid-decade redistricting.  

3. Making it very clear – Hoosiers didn’t want this.  

Our message stayed the same – Hoosiers did not want mid-decade redistricting. It was the first thing out of our coalition’s mouth. 

We didn’t talk about what other states were doing. We didn’t talk about other partisan things. We knew how Hoosiers felt – they did not want this. 

Then we said it for months and we proved it with our actions. We polled them. We asked them to put their names down to let their position be known. We gave them multiple avenues to be heard. 

But the message stayed the same – Hoosiers don’t want this and you shouldn’t do it. 

And now, it won’t happen.  

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