Indiana Republican vows to vote no on redistricting after Trump posts ableist slur | Indiana
A Republican Indiana lawmaker whose child has Down syndrome has vowed to oppose Donald Trump’s efforts to redraw the state’s congressional map in his party’s favor after he aimed to smear a political rival against people with intellectual disabilities.
Indiana State Senate member Michael Bohacek wrote He said on Facebook on Friday that he has been “an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities” since one of his daughters was born with Down’s. Referring to the day before when the president (i.e., his fellow Republican) used a crippling slur to insult the Democratic governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, Bohacek added: “His choice of words has consequences.”
“I will vote NO on redistricting, maybe he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and actions deserve a congressional majority.”
Bohacek’s opposition to Trump comes after the Trump administration pressured Republican lawmakers in Indiana to redraw the boundaries of congressional districts. The goal will be to give Republicans more U.S. House seats as their party tries to maintain control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Indiana lawmakers are scheduled to weigh such a partisan redistricting measure in late December. But state Senate leaders warned there wasn’t enough support in the legislature to enact congressional redistricting plan.
In mid-November, Trump called for primary challenges to be set for any Republican state senator in Indiana who “votes against this significant redistricting that has the potential to impact America.”
“They… MUST DO THEIR JOB AND DO IT NOW!” Trump’s Truth Social post said: “If not, let’s fire them.”
Bohacek vowed to defy Trump’s wishes after a separate Truth post from the president. In it, written after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., Trump accused Walz of being a “serious moron” and said he would “permanently pause” all immigration from “third world countries,” referring to the Somali community in Minnesota.
While many Facebook users who responded to Bohacek’s post thanked him for taking a stand against Trump, some lamented that it took something so close to him to stand up to the president.
A typical response is: “You should care about people even if it doesn’t affect you or your immediate family.” “I’m glad you at least understand now. And thank you for your current stance.”
Bohacek has served in the Indiana Senate since November 2016, when Trump won his first presidency.
Indiana is one of several states where the two major U.S. political parties are grappling with whether to engage in partisan redistricting.
Meanwhile, Texas in August approved New congressional maps that will help Republicans add up to five seats in the 2026 midterm elections. In November, California responded by passing a redistricting measure that would allow Democrats to win the same number of seats.
