By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
NORTH WEBSTER — On the same day that President Donald Trump began targeting certain Indiana state lawmakers for not supporting his call to redraw Indiana’s Congressional lines, former Gov. Mitch Daniels defended his opposition to it.
Daniels is one of the few high-ranking Republicans in Indiana politics to speak out against the mid-cycle redistricting plan sought by Trump, and did so previously in a published commentary.
The former governor, who later went on to serve as president of Purdue University, was in North Webster to honor Republicans at the annual Hall of Fame dinner and was asked about the state senate leader’s decision not to call a special session to address redistricting.
State Senators on Friday canceled plans for the December special session.
“I think they’re doing the right thing,” Daniels said during a pre-dinner social hour at the Owl’s Nest. “It also happens to be the smart thing for them because the citizens of the state have spoken very loudly that they don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Recent polls have shown redistricting doesn’t have much public support, and many lawmakers have avoided taking a public stand.
Daniels was asked bout Trump’s threat to primary Republican candidates who don’t support redistricting.
“I would hope it wouldn’t come to that. I would hope the president would respect the consciences of people who feel a commitment to fair play and fair competition and really don’t want to rig the rules in the middle of the game,” Daniels said.
Monday’s political dinner came one day before state lawmakers have their organizational day before the general assembly meets in January.
While redistricting will likely be discussed in Indianapolis on Tuesday, there was no mention of it by any speakers on Monday night.
Meanwhile Indiana Capitol Chronicle reports many Republican lawmakers still don’t want to discuss redistricting.
State Sen. Blake Doriot, of Syracuse, who has been the target of an intense online lobbying, spoke out Monday afternoon, the report said.
While Doriot has been a strong supporter of other Trump issues, he said redrawing Congressional maps mid-cycle is not the best way to achieve policy goals.
Doriot said there is no way to guarantee Republicans would pick up two additional districts eyed by Republicans and held by Democrats for decades.
Instead, Doriot said Republicans should focus on flipping the 1st Congressional District, which has trended toward Republicans in recent elections, Indiana Capital Chronicle reported.
State Sen. Stacy Donato, who attended Monday’s dinner and whose district includes part of Kosciusko County, told News Now Warsaw that she’d be happy to talk about any issues other than redistricting.
Donato also declined to say where she stood on the issue.
Daniels was Monday’s keynote speaker and joined with Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita in paying tribute to political leader Jean Northenor and philanthropist Mary Louise Miller, both of whom passed away in recent weeks.
Check out the full story by the Times-Union’s David Slone here.
