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Jim Pfaff on OAN: Indiana Redistricting Battle & GOP Split | Dec 08, 2025

Published: December 08, 2025
Network: One America News
Analysis: Conservative Caucus President Jim Pfaff

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The Indiana redistricting map currently moving through the state legislature represents far more than a local political battle—it’s a national power play that could eliminate both Democrat congressional seats in the Hoosier State and solidify Republican control of the U.S. House for years to come. Under direct pressure from President Donald Trump and national GOP operatives, Indiana’s Republican-controlled House passed the controversial map 57-41, but the fight now shifts to a state Senate where votes remain uncertain and internal GOP divisions threaten to derail the entire effort.

Topics Covered

• The Indiana Redistricting Map: What’s at Stake
• Why Some Republicans Are Resisting Trump’s Push
• The Chamber of Commerce and Legislative Corruption
• Democrat Gerrymandering: The Illinois Comparison
• What Indiana Republican Voters Actually Want
• National House Control and the Trump Agenda
• Key Takeaways

The Indiana Redistricting Map: What’s at Stake

The proposed Indiana redistricting map would fundamentally reshape the state’s congressional delegation from a 7-2 Republican advantage to a complete 9-0 GOP sweep. The plan specifically targets the districts held by Democrat Andre Carson in Indianapolis and Frank Morvan in Northwest Indiana, reconfiguring boundaries in a way that would make both seats virtually unwinnable for Democrats.

State Representative Ben Smaltz sponsored the bill and openly confirmed that the map was drafted with input from national Republican Party operatives—an acknowledgment that underscores the coordinated nature of this redistricting effort. The timing is particularly significant: this is a mid-decade redistricting push, not the standard post-census redrawing that typically occurs every ten years.

The vote in the Indiana House revealed significant fractures within the Republican caucus itself. Twelve Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the map, signaling that this isn’t simply a partisan divide but a philosophical split within the GOP over whether such aggressive redistricting tactics should be employed.

Why Some Republicans Are Resisting Trump’s Push

According to Jim Pfaff, president of The Conservative Caucus, the resistance among some Indiana Republicans stems from multiple sources—and opposition to President Trump himself appears to be a significant factor.

“I think there’s a lot of opposition to the Trump administration that’s focusing, that is the focus of this. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has the legislature largely in its pocket, and to be candid, they’re not very conservative at all, and frankly, in some ways, very pro-Democrat.”
— Jim Pfaff, President, The Conservative Caucus

Pfaff, a native Hoosier who worked to elect some of these legislators back in the 1990s, identifies the Indiana Chamber of Commerce as a key player working against the redistricting effort. Despite Indiana’s reputation as a solidly conservative state, Pfaff argues that the state’s business establishment maintains a cozy relationship with the legislature that prioritizes corporate interests over conservative principles.

The current challenge in the Indiana Senate is stark: Republican leadership is reportedly two votes short of passing the map. Senate President Roderick Bray faces pressure from both sides—national conservative organizations threatening primary challenges against Republicans who vote no, and establishment interests urging caution and “principle” against what they characterize as naked partisan gerrymandering.

The Chamber of Commerce and Legislative Corruption

Pfaff didn’t mince words when discussing what he sees as systemic corruption in Indiana’s legislature—corruption that benefits both Republican and Democrat special interests at the expense of genuine conservative reform.

He cited a specific example from Mike Pence’s tenure as governor, describing an economic development program that transformed a $46 million state grant to Evansville into approximately $2 billion in bond funding—effectively saddling Vanderburg County and Evansville with massive debt while enriching politically connected interests.

“Most of that money goes to Republican interests or even Democrat interests for special privileges coming out of government. So that’s just one example. There are many things like that. And again, this kind of effort doesn’t like Donald Trump, who is a reformed president and trying to make a good faith effort to get away from that sort of thing.”
— Jim Pfaff, President, The Conservative Caucus

This corporatist system, according to Pfaff, creates a powerful incentive structure that resists Trump-style populist conservatism. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and similar organizations benefit from maintaining relationships with legislators who will protect their special privileges—regardless of whether those privileges align with conservative principles or voter preferences.

Pfaff was particularly critical of former Governor and Vice President Mike Pence, describing his governorship as “lackluster” and suggesting Pence was unlikely to win re-election had Trump not selected him as a running mate. Notably, Pence has not publicly weighed in on the Indiana redistricting map debate, despite his continued willingness to comment on other issues related to President Trump.

Democrat Gerrymandering: The Illinois Comparison

When discussing the Indiana redistricting map controversy, Pfaff immediately pointed to neighboring Illinois as an example of Democrat gerrymandering that receives far less media scrutiny or moral outrage.

Illinois Democrats have created what Pfaff describes as “massive gerrymandering” with districts that defy any logical geographic or community coherence. He specifically highlighted two districts that originate in Southern Cook County and Chicago’s South Side but snake “nearly halfway down the state” to incorporate rural areas that have virtually nothing in common with urban Chicago—all to ensure Democrat victories.

Pfaff expressed particular frustration with Republicans who express moral qualms about aggressive redistricting while their Democrat counterparts have been “taking away seats for decades now” without similar hand-wringing. This asymmetry in willingness to use available political tools, he argues, has contributed to Republican disadvantages in the House despite winning more total votes in many election cycles.

What Indiana Republican Voters Actually Want

Despite some early polling suggesting Indiana voters oppose the redistricting effort, Pfaff strongly disputes that characterization based on his conversations with grassroots conservatives throughout the state.

“Republican voters love Donald Trump in Indiana. They really do. And I believe there’s very strong Republican support for this effort. Listen, people understand that Democrats are trying to twist the system, and they want things to happen that obviously are legitimate, and this is a legitimate effort.”
— Jim Pfaff, President, The Conservative Caucus

Pfaff serves on the board of a conservative organization in Indiana that tracks voter sentiment and legislative issues. His assessment is unequivocal: Republican voters in Indiana overwhelmingly support President Trump and want to see his agenda advanced—including using every available legal tool to maintain Republican control of Congress.

He argues that Indiana Republicans want their legislature to pursue bold conservative reforms including full school choice to break what he calls “the monopoly of government education” and other Trump agenda priorities. The redistricting fight, in this view, is a test case for whether Indiana Republicans will be aggressive in pursuing conservative goals or will continue to be constrained by establishment interests and corporate lobbying.

When asked whether any Republican voters oppose eliminating the two Democrat House seats, Pfaff was dismissive of that notion. Indiana Republicans, he argues, understand that Democrats represent “an anti-American ideal” and want their elected representatives to counter that ideology effectively—not to preserve Democrat seats out of some abstract notion of fairness while Democrats pursue maximum partisan advantage in states they control.

National House Control and the Trump Agenda

The Indiana redistricting map battle is unfolding against a broader national landscape of Republican redistricting efforts in multiple states—efforts that could determine whether Republicans maintain House control through 2026 and beyond.

Pfaff noted several positive developments for Republicans on the redistricting front. The Supreme Court recently upheld Texas maps that favor Republicans, dealing a blow to Democrat challenges. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called a special session to redraw that state’s congressional maps. Missouri and Ohio have already successfully implemented new Republican-friendly maps.

According to Pfaff’s analysis, the overall map for House control “looks pretty good for Republicans” if they’re willing to be aggressive and capitalize on opportunities. He noted that generic ballot polling has shifted back in Republicans’ favor after Democrats gained ground earlier in 2025.

However, he cautioned that Republicans have historically been “really good at grabbing defeat out of the jaws of victory” through timidity and internal divisions. The Indiana redistricting map fight exemplifies this dynamic—Republicans have the votes and the legal authority to pass the map, but internal resistance threatens to squander the opportunity.

Pfaff sees these new districts as opportunities to recruit “new blood” to Congress—fresh conservative candidates who could energize the Trump agenda rather than establishment Republicans who might resist it. Organizations like The Conservative Caucus and Club for Growth are prepared to support primary challenges against Republicans who block redistricting efforts and to recruit strong conservatives to run in newly created safe Republican districts.

The stakes extend beyond 2026. If Republicans successfully redraw maps in Indiana and other states, they could maintain House control even in a moderately unfavorable political environment, providing crucial support for President Trump’s agenda through the remainder of his term and potentially beyond.

Key Takeaways

1. Indiana Redistricting Could Eliminate All Democrat House Seats – The proposed Indiana redistricting map would shift the state’s delegation from 7-2 Republican to 9-0, targeting seats held by Democrats Andre Carson and Frank Morvan through boundary reconfiguration.
2. Trump and National GOP Are Directly Pressuring Indiana Republicans – President Trump and national Republican operatives openly pushed for the map, which passed the Indiana House 57-41 but faces uncertainty in the state Senate where leadership is reportedly two votes short.
3. Internal GOP Resistance Stems from Multiple Sources – Twelve House Republicans voted against the map, with opposition driven by establishment business interests (particularly the Indiana Chamber of Commerce), anti-Trump sentiment, and concerns about aggressive mid-decade redistricting tactics.
4. Democrats Have Aggressively Gerrymandered in States They Control – Illinois Democrats created districts that snake from Chicago nearly halfway down the state to capture rural areas, exemplifying the partisan redistricting that Republicans argue justifies similar tactics in red states.
5. Indiana Republican Voters Strongly Support the Redistricting Effort – Despite some polling suggesting opposition, grassroots conservative leaders report that Republican voters in Indiana overwhelmingly support Trump and want aggressive action to maintain GOP House control and advance conservative policies.
6. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce Wields Disproportionate Influence – According to conservative activists, the Chamber maintains a corporatist relationship with Indiana legislators that prioritizes special business privileges over conservative principles and popular sentiment.
7. National House Control Hangs in the Balance – Combined with redistricting efforts in Texas, Florida, Missouri, and Ohio, the Indiana map could help Republicans add 10-15 safe House seats nationally, significantly improving prospects for maintaining control through 2026 and supporting Trump’s agenda.
8. Conservative Groups Will Target Republicans Who Block the Map – Organizations including The Conservative Caucus and Club for Growth have explicitly threatened to support primary challenges against Indiana Republicans who vote against redistricting, raising the political stakes for wavering senators.
9. Mike Pence Has Remained Silent on Indiana Redistricting – The former Indiana governor and vice president has not weighed in on the redistricting debate despite commenting frequently on other Trump-related issues, reflecting what critics see as his continued distance from grassroots conservatism.
10. The Fight Tests Whether Republicans Will Match Democrat Aggressiveness – The Indiana redistricting map battle represents a broader question facing the GOP: whether to use every available legal tool to maximize political advantage as Democrats do, or to self-limit based on principles that the opposition doesn’t share.

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About The Conservative Caucus:
The Conservative Caucus is a grassroots public policy action organization, formed in 1974. Headed by President Jim Pfaff, the Caucus is committed to advancing free enterprise, limited government, and traditional values.

Originally broadcast December 08, 2025 on One America News.