The Indiana Senate just defied Trump and voted against gerrymandering. But the fight continues in Missouri.

Friday, December 12

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THIS WEEK

- Indiana Senate rejects Trump-backed gerrymander

- In Missouri redistricting battle, GOP officials look to drown out voters’ voices

- DOJ’s new voting lawyer has ties to election conspiracy theorists

- Trump’s Hatch Act violations over gerrymandering must be investigated, Padilla says

REDISTRICTING

Indiana GOP-controlled Senate rejects Trump gerrymander

In a stunning loss for President Donald Trump, Republicans in the Indiana Senate joined with Democrats to soundly reject ([link removed] ) the president’s redistricting plan yesterday. Their vote proved that weeks of MAGA’s threats, harassment and intimidation ([link removed] ) were all for nothing.

In the end, the nail-biter vote wasn’t even close – 21 Republicans defied Trump. The president had called for a 9-0 map meant to eliminate two seats held by Democrats in the state. It was drawn with the help of leading GOP mapmaker Adam Kincaid from the GOP National Republican Redistricting Trust. He was also behind the Texas gerrymander.

But unlike Texas Republicans, Hoosier GOP state senators broke with the president. Read more about the Indiana vote here ([link removed] ) .

REDISTRICTING

GOP officials look to drown out Missouri voters’ voices

When President Donald Trump demanded ([link removed] ) states gerrymander the map to help Republicans maintain control of Congress in 2026, Missouri GOP lawmakers caved right away ([link removed] ) . The state’s voters, on the other hand, did not. They’ve fought back every step of the way: testifying at the state capitol, filing lawsuits to block the gerrymander and collecting over 300,000 signatures ([link removed] ) so they can put the map to a statewide vote ([link removed] ) .

What’s at stake? Missouri’s 5th Congressional District. The new map carves up Kansas City into three districts that will likely all be won by Republicans – a move that comes at the expense of Kansas City’s Black voters, many of whom are currently represented by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D).

The Missouri gerrymander has spawned an almost overwhelming amount of litigation ([link removed] ) . But everything could come down to one seemingly technical question ([link removed] ) with enormous consequences: Which map will be in place between Feb. 24 and March 31, when candidates submit paperwork for a spot on the 2026 primary ballot?

People Not Politicians, the group leading the anti-gerrymander referendum effort, says the new map should be on pause right now because they delivered the required petition signatures this week. But Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, an elected Republican, says he’s bucking past precedent and won’t pause the map until after signatures are verified – a process that almost certainly won’t be completed by the time candidate filing is set to start.

Pausing the map until a referendum can be held — which likely won’t happen before November 2026 — is the best way for gerrymander opponents to prevent the new map from being used in the 2026 congressional elections.

But Republicans know time is on their side. If they can force the new map into use, it will be nearly impossible to stop it later.

The bottom line: The GOP has turned redistricting into the chess game from hell. If Republicans are allowed to put the new map into effect now, they will have sidestepped the state constitution’s referendum process – and the power of 300,000 voters who signed the petition. Read more about Missouri here ([link removed] ) .



Happening next Tuesday! Upgrade to join our final premium live Q&A of the year with Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias — sponsored by Swing Left.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DOJ’s new voting lawyer has ties to election conspiracy theorists

A new hire at the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) voting section has ties ([link removed] ) to election conspiracy theorists, an unsurprising development that befits the department’s transformation into an entity focused on fighting against voting, rather than protecting it.

As Democracy Docket readers already know, the DOJ has experienced massive staff turnover this year. One of the new hires, Eric Neff, is well connected among the far-right fringe. He briefly represented Patrick Byrne, who aided in Trump’s effort to steal the 2020 election.

And as a local prosecutor, he brought charges against the CEO of an election management software company based on a tip from the election denial group True the Vote – a move that ultimately cost the county a $5 million settlement.

Now, Neff is part of the DOJ team attempting to seize private voter data from states across the country. As David Becker, a former DOJ voting section lawyer himself, told Democracy Docket: “This is DEI for loyalists.” Read more about the new DOJ attorney here ([link removed] ) .

TRUMP

Trump’s Hatch Act violations over gerrymandering must be investigated, Padilla says

Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, this week urged ([link removed] ) the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate Trump for “repeated, blatant” violations of the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits government employees from using the power of their offices for partisan goals.

In a letter, Padilla argued that Trump’s national gerrymandering push has crossed a line legally and merits a federal investigation.

He also asked the office to investigate allegations ([link removed] ) that White House officials are using private messaging services that automatically delete conversations to discuss their gerrymandering efforts, which could violate federal recording laws.

The head of OSC was fired ([link removed] ) by Trump in February. Read more about Trump’s Hatch Act violations here ([link removed] ) .

OPINION

To protect gerrymanders, GOP lawmakers target judges – and voters

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Trump’s relentless redistricting battle has turned courts in the front line of the fight to preserve our democracy. State courts are now in the spotlight for their ability to protect voters from egregious gerrymanders.

“Nearly every state constitution protects the right to vote and emphasizes the importance of voters — not politicians who manipulate election districts — deciding who governs. Voters can help stop gerrymandering by getting involved with judicial elections or appointments and by fighting Republican power grabs,” writes Billy Corriher, state courts manager for People’s Parity Project, in a new opinion piece. Read more here ([link removed] ) .

NEW EPISODE

Harvard professor explains decline of democracy

Harvard professor and global expert on democratic breakdown Steven Levitsky joins Marc Elias to assess where the United States stands in 2025—and whether we’ve crossed the line into authoritarianism. Watch it on YouTube here ([link removed] ) .

What We’re Doing

While the redistricting news can sometimes be grim, Democracy Docket reporter Jen Rice actually had a great week. And that’s because of a reader who sent her the iconic Ulster County, NY voting sticker in the mail. As we told you in the newsletter last month, Jen is a huge fan of voting stickers – and Ulster County’s famous demented spider sticker from 2022 is the best of the best. Thank you, Ethan and Freda! (And to all readers: Please keep Jen posted on any local voting sticker updates that should be on her radar.)

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