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By Tom Davies
Indiana Capital Chronicle

The post GOP secretary of state race scrambled as US Sen. Banks’ staffer enters contest appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

By Tom Davies and Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle

The Republican-dominated Indiana Senate voted 19-31 on Thursday against redrawing the state’s congressional districts — spurning months of demands from President Donald Trump.

The final outcome remained uncertain until 21 Republicans joined all 10 Democratic senators in rejecting the redistricting plan.

With that tally, Indiana became the first Republican-led state Legislature to vote down Trump’s wish to squeeze out more GOP-friendly congressional seats in hopes of improving the party’s chances of keeping its slim U.S. House majority after the 2026 midterm elections.

The Indiana House last week approved the new maps crafted by the National Republican Redistricting Trust to produce a 9-0 Republican delegation. It did so by carving up the two districts currently held by Democratic Reps. André Carson in Indianapolis and Frank Mrvan in the area along Lake Michigan near Chicago.

But the Senate’s Republican leader, President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, has said repeatedly that too few GOP senators supported the mid-decade redistricting for it to pass.

Thursday’s Senate outcome came even with Trump, Gov. Mike Braun and other redistricting supporters continuing to cajole — and politically threaten — Bray and other senators who opposed the move.

Trump was calling individual senators this week seeking support and took to social media Wednesday night to seethe over Bray and other Indiana Republicans who weren’t following his demands.

“Unfortunately, Indiana Senate ‘Leader’ Rod Bray enjoys being the only person in the United States of America who is against Republicans picking up extra seats, in Indiana’s case, two of them,” Trump’s post said. “He is putting every ounce of his limited strength into asking his soon to be very vulnerable friends to vote with him.”

Indiana House Republicans pushed the proposed maps through that chamber last week by a 57-41 margin, with 12 GOP members joining Democrats in voting “no.”

Several Republican senators against the redistricting plan cited what they described as overwhelming public opposition. Others said they didn’t believe it was proper to overhaul the Republican-drawn maps approved in 2021 for such blatant political purposes, with some objecting to the overt gerrymandering of Indianapolis among four districts spanning as far away as the Ohio River.

Trump started the national redistricting fight by pushing Texas Republicans to redraw its congressional map this summer, followed by Republican redistricting moves in Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina. An attempt by Kansas Republicans for a special session on redistricting stalled this fall.

Democrats responded with their own redistricting in California and possible moves in Illinois and Virginia.

Trump’s Wednesday night post appeared to foreshadow the outcome of the Indiana Senate vote.

“Rod Bray and his friends won’t be in Politics for long, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again,” the post said. “One of my favorite States, Indiana, will be the only State in the Union to turn the Republican Party down!”

Bray isn’t up for election until 2028.

This story will be updated.

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

The post Senate Republicans reject Trump’s plea for gerrymandered maps appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

The months-long political drama over possible Indiana congressional redistricting has snarled up campaign plans for some Hoosiers with U.S. House ambitions.

Indiana House members are returning to the Statehouse this week for debate over President Donald Trump’s demand for Republican-led states to draw more GOP-leaning congressional districts.

Uncertainty clouds whether such a plan will clear the Republican-dominated state Senate. Such has been the campaign ambiguity since August when Indiana became ensnared in the national redistricting debate.

“It’s definitely muddied the waters,” said Randy Niemeyer, who was the 2024 Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan and is considering a 2026 run.

Northwestern Indiana’s 1st Congressional District now held by Mrvan has been in Democratic hands since the 1930s. But it has trended more Republican in the Trump era and is seen as the easiest potential GOP pickup in the state.

The current 1st District takes in all of Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline areas, including all of Lake and Porter counties and part of LaPorte County. Many unofficial map proposals create a more Republican district by pairing Lake County — the state’s second-most populous — with numerous rural counties to the south and southeast.

The uncertainty of what map will be used for the 2026 election hangs over many campaign decisions, said Niemeyer, who is the Lake County Republican chair and a County Council member.

“It becomes a factor in fundraising,” Niemeyer said in an interview. “It becomes a factor in a ground game. You’re talking about a difference between covering two and a half counties and possibly 12 or 13 counties. What I’ve kind of been doing in my own consideration is, ‘All right, let’s build two business models and see what this looks like.’”

Republican hopeful faces unknowns

Similar troubles exist for candidates in what are now among solidly Republican districts.

Redrawing maps so that all nine of Indiana’s congressional districts favor Republicans would mean also carving up the heavily Democratic 7th District in Indianapolis now held by Rep. Andre Carson.

That could mean a chunk of Indianapolis going into the 4th District, where state Rep. Craig Haggard is challenging four-term U.S. Rep. Jim Baird for the Republican nomination.

Haggard said he’s spent most of the past two years traveling the district that spans from the western suburbs of Indianapolis more than a hundred miles north to the Kankakee River separating Lake and Newton counties.

“I’ve spent a lot of resources. I have volunteer coordinators in each of those counties,” Haggard said. “They could go away. It really could upend everything and then I have a very, very short time to start over again.”

Indiana’s candidate filing period for the 2026 primaries opens Jan. 7 and closes Feb. 6. Early voting is scheduled to start April 7 for the Republican and Democratic primaries on May 5.

So even though U.S. House candidates aren’t required to live in their districts, most serious campaigns for a congressional seat start months or years ahead of the filing period — especially with fundraising.

Haggard acknowledged some potential financial supporters were holding back until the district lines were finalized, but said he believed that was a small percentage.

The most recent Federal Election Commission reports show Haggard raised $49,500 during the three months ending Sept. 30, compared to Baird’s $70,610. Haggard’s campaign had about $117,000 in the bank, while Baird had $182,000.

Complications for Carson challenger 

George Hornedo has faced an even more complicated political landscape since May when he announced his Democratic primary challenge to Carson in the 7th District.

Hornedo says he is pressing on despite the prospect of the district being split up among perhaps two or three others to favor Republicans.

Hornedo, an attorney who was a staffer with Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, decided to narrow his campaign team’s focus to northern Indianapolis, knocking on doors and making phone calls to both oppose redistricting and support his candidacy.

“Every ounce of volunteer energy, every phone banking shift, every hour canvassing, it was going to identify and support us for the campaign, but also educating neighbors with what’s at stake with redistricting and helping to enable them to take action,” he said.

Hornedo had an initial burst of fundraising success, collecting nearly $160,000 in the first three-month period when he announced his bid. That dropped to about $18,000 for the three months ending Sept. 30, leaving his campaign with about $43,000.

Carson, who has held the House seat since 2008, ended September with more than $600,000, having raised about $155,000 in the previous three months.

Hornedo said he is committed to a 2026 campaign regardless of how the redistricting debate plays out.

“I would organize in whatever the new district is, but I would continue to organize in the district as it is now — Indianapolis at large — because part of the reason I got into this race was talking about rebuilding the Democratic Party from the bottom up,” he said.

Carson’s campaign said it is running a coordinating effort “to support Democrats up and down the ballot.

“This year, that work has continued — and the congressman has also collaborated with local leaders to raise the alarm on redistricting,” Carson spokesperson Caroline Ellert said in a statement.

Democratic enthusiasm boost?

The biggest political change from the 2021 congressional maps drawn by Republicans after the 2020 census was strengthening the GOP’s hold on central Indiana’s 5th District following U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz’s narrow 2020 general election win for her first term.

Spartz easily defeated Democratic candidates in the 2022 and 2024 elections, even after surviving a tight Republican primary last year.

No 2026 Republican challengers have emerged against Spartz as the redistricting debate has lingered.

But Democrats say they have stirred up animosity among voters with a redistricting push that they see as unfair.

“They want to know where the district lines are, but people are just paying attention to what’s going on and they’re stepping up,” said 5th District Democratic chair Terri Austin, a former state legislator from Anderson. “They’re stepping up in their activism. They’re stepping up to run for local office and they’re fired up. They really are.”

Mrvan challengers jumping in

Mrvan, the Democratic congressman from northwestern Indiana, told an anti-redistricting rally at the Statehouse in August that he planned to seek reelection next year “no matter what district they put me in.”

Mrvan argued Trump was pushing redistricting to help Republicans overcome unpopular policies and retain a narrow U.S. House majority.

“They are afraid, they are afraid to face voters,” Mrvan said during the rally.

A Mrvan spokeswoman did not return recent messages seeking additional comment.

The unknown makeup of the 1st District hasn’t stopped Republicans from entering the race to possibly challenge Mrvan.

Those who’ve already declared candidacies include Porter County Commissioner Barb Regnitz and Jennifer-Ruth Green, who got 47% of the vote in a 2022 loss to Mrvan.

Green announced her new campaign in October, the month after she resigned as public safety secretary for Gov. Mike Braun’s administration. She has denied allegations of ghost employment and misuse of state property made by the state inspector general in a formal ethics complaint.

Green campaign spokesman Tim Edson said in a statement that Green “is receiving a lot of support from Republican activists, donors and Hoosiers across the Region excited to have an outsider, a conservative and a fighter who will stand with President Trump in this race.  We remain confident Indiana will redraw the congressional map to combat Democrats efforts to rig the game through gerrymandering and counting illegal immigrants in the census.”

The Regnitz campaign did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Some Republican legislators who oppose the redistricting push argue that it has taken focus away from supporting a GOP candidate against Mrvan.

Niemeyer said he would be making a decision soon about seeking a rematch against Mrvan and scoffed at the argument the redistricting debate hurts Republican candidates.

“We built a really legitimate campaign and not a single one of those people saying that lent a hand,” Niemeyer said. “I find it to be a very hollow statement and actually a statement that is trying to deflect what’s at play, because I doubt that they will help.”

GOP U.S. House members in support

All seven of Indiana’s current Republican U.S. House members have endorsed Trump’s redistricting call — despite not seeing what those new maps might look like.

Baird, the 4th District incumbent, said he would be running for reelection “no matter what the final map looks like.”

“I would hate to lose any of my constituents, but I also recognize how important it is for Indiana to get this process right so every Hoosier has a fair voice in Washington,” Baird wrote in an email.

Baird said he trusted the Legislature “to do what is right for Indiana and all Hoosiers.”

“Neither my staff nor I have been involved in drafting any maps,” Baird wrote. “That responsibility lies solely with the Indiana General Assembly.”

Haggard, the legislator from Mooresville challenging Baird, said he supported the redistricting push despite the impact on his candidacy.

“If I can’t handle this, I shouldn’t go to Congress anyway,” Haggard said. “… It hurts a campaign like mine but at the end of the day, I think that this is bigger than me.”

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

The post Indiana’s long redistricting debate complicates congressional runs appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

Indiana lawmakers won’t meet to consider new congressional maps and tax code tweaks until the first two weeks of December, legislative leaders announced Monday — ending months of speculation.

They’ll reconvene from Dec. 1-12, rather than hold the special legislative session in November that Gov. Mike Braun called for last week.

Republican leaders indicated cost was a top factor. The state’s most recent special session, in 2022, lasted two weeks and cost taxpayers about $240,000 in per-diem and travel expenses.

“Adjusting the 2026 legislative calendar is what makes the most sense when we consider member schedules, the logistics of legislative action and – most importantly – the costs to the taxpayer,” Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray said in a statement.

“Making this shift allows the legislature to consider the topics presented to us in a thoughtful way without burdening Hoosier taxpayers with the cost of a special session,” he continued.

House Speaker Todd Huston said the aim is to “avoid any added session-related costs,” adding, “We will continue to look for ways to save taxpayer dollars as we work through and finalize the schedule.”

They could trim days from the back half of the 2026 calendar to even out the costs.

Braun released a statement in support of the news:

“I want to thank Senator Bray and Speaker Huston for announcing the legislature will convene on December 1, and happy to see they have committed to complete their work on the time sensitive issues of altering Indiana’s congressional boundaries to ensure Hoosiers have fair representation in Washington and conforming Indiana’s tax code to ensure stability and certainty as Hoosiers begin filing returns in January.”

Democratic caucus leaders condemned the move.

“Let’s call this what it is: a mid-decade scheme to rig the maps, and the only reason this is even on the table is because Trump’s losing — and Governor Braun caved,” Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder said. Her caucus, she said, “will be ready with bills to make housing more affordable, lower health care costs, expand child care, and rein in utility hikes — because that’s what the people of Indiana actually need.”

Her counterpart, House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, said his caucus would focus on the “skyrocketing cost of living.”

“From health care premiums and utility bills to child care costs and property taxes, Hoosiers are struggling to stay afloat and need relief. Redrawing political maps won’t solve any of these problems,” GiaQuinta said. “House Democrats will be offering solutions, and I look forward to hearing from Statehouse Republicans about what their plans to make Indiana more affordable look like.”

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, composed mostly of House Democrats, rallied Monday against the prospect of redistricting.

Special or not?

Last week, Braun summoned lawmakers into a special legislative session focused on early, mid-cycle redistricting of the state’s congressional districts — and critical tax code updates.

The Statehouse’s GOP supermajorities used 2020 census data to construct the current 7-2 maps in 2021. The lines aren’t due for updates until after the 2030 census.

But Indiana has come under intense pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration for a redraw of the state’s two blue congressional districts red ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Braun also called on the General Assembly to patch “discrepancies” in Indiana’s tax code, stemming from big changes in Trump’s marquee One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The governor’s order set the session for Monday, Nov. 3. Lawmakers don’t have to convene the exact day that he suggested — and won’t. The only requirements under Indiana law are that a special session can’t last for more than 30 session days or 40 calendar days. That clock begins Nov. 3 and ends Dec. 13.

But the General Assembly will answer the call differently.

Lawmakers won’t meet for a special session — even for a perfunctory gavel in and out. There’s no statutory requirement for that, Bray spokeswoman Molly Swigart said. Instead, legislators plan to start the regular 2026 session early.

Typically, they convene for Organization Day — the ceremonial start to the regularly scheduled session — on the third Tuesday in November and then return for business in January. This year, they’ll also work the first two weeks of December.

“The meeting days in December would be part of the 2026 regular session that officially starts on Organization Day on Nov. 18,” Huston said. “Because of this calendar alignment, starting the regular session early would be the most cost effective and efficient way to address the Governor’s call for a special session.”

More details on the December session days will be revealed in the “coming weeks,” he said, with a full calendar expected on Organization Day.

Other groups also slammed the news.

“Today’s announcement that lawmakers won’t return until December only underscores what Hoosiers have been saying for weeks: mid-decade redistricting is a distraction no one wants,” Indiana Conservation Voters said. “Governor Braun said this process needed to be wrapped up by late November. Now we know it won’t even get started until December. Our leaders keep kicking the can down the road because they know this idea is woefully unpopular and unnecessary. Let’s scrap it now.”

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

The post Indiana lawmakers set mid-cycle redistricting work for December appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW —  The Kosciusko County Community Foundation approved an emergency grant of up to $31,000 in additional money on Friday to the Milford Food Bank as the government shutdown enters its 34th day and benefits for food assistance have temporarily ceased.

Concerns about SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) have been growing in recent days, and even though rulings on Friday from two judges ordered the Trump administration to continue funding the massive program, uncertainty remains.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown.

 The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.

In Kosciusko County, about 1,800 households rely on SNAP benefits.

In a statement issued Friday, the Foundation’s Board said it acted quickly to help ensure vulnerable children, families, and seniors in our community do not go hungry.

Money will be used to provide immediate food support for residents across Kosciusko County through their network of local food pantries supported by the food bank.

The first portion of money, $15,500 was released Friday. If by mid-November, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have not been released, the second grant installment will be released, said the foundation in a news release.

"We’re deeply grateful for Milford Food Bank’s strong partnerships with pantries throughout the county, and grateful to have rapid-response funds at the Community Foundation," the foundation statement said.

Find a food pantry near you by visiting milfordfoodbank.org/pantrylocations.

The two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to pay for SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown.

Benefits for millions of people are being delayed in November because the process of loading cards can take a week or more in many states.

The post Community Foundation announces emergency funding for Milford Food Bank appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

Gov. Mike Braun on Monday called a special session to take up congressional redistricting, a politically charged move that follows months of mounting pressure from national Republicans to redraw Indiana’s map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Braun’s order says the session will begin Monday, Nov. 3 and will focus primarily on revising the state’s congressional boundaries — lines that were last redrawn in 2021 following the U.S. Census.

Braun’s office said lawmakers will use the special session to “consider altering the boundaries of Indiana’s congressional districts,” but also to “consider resolving an important issue regarding federal and state tax compliance that must be addressed.”

“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” the governor said in a Monday morning statement. “I am also asking the legislature to conform Indiana’s tax code with new federal tax provisions to ensure stability and certainty for taxpayers and tax preparers for 2026 filings.”

The news release from the governor’s office noted that Indiana uses federal tax law as the starting point for the Indiana tax return, and the recent changes to federal tax law in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act include provisions “that impact Indiana state tax filings.”

Addressing that “discrepancy” through a special session “will provide taxpayers, accountants and businesses the confidence and clarity ahead of filing season, avoid amended returns and filing delays, and continue the Indiana Department of Revenue’s strong record of fiscal management,” according to Braun’s office.

The state’s most recent special session in 2022 — which lasted two weeks and centered on abortion-related legislations — cost taxpayers about $240,000 in per-diem and travel expenses.

Legislative leaders don’t have to convene the exact day that Braun suggested. By law, the only rule is it can’t last for more than 30 session days or 40 calendar days. That clock will begin Nov 3.

In 2022, then-Gov. Eric Holcomb’s order began the session on July 6 but lawmakers didn’t convene until July 25, and it ended Aug. 5.

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation in the Statehouse, fueled by a series of meetings between Hoosier GOP leaders and top figures in President Donald Trump’s orbit, including Vice President JD Vance. Trump spoke with Indiana Senate Republicans by phone on Oct. 17.

Discussions have centered on ways to strengthen the party’s position in the U.S. House — where Republicans hold a narrow majority — by encouraging states with GOP strongholds to redraw districts before 2026.

During the leadup, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray have refuse to publicly say where they stand.

It’s unclear how long the special session will last. Lawmakers could suspend rules to pass a map in just a day or two, but it’s unlikely there are enough votes to do that. A bill must be heard three times in each chamber, meaning a likely minimum of six days.

Legislative leaders are expected to outline their next steps in the coming days.

The last time Indiana redrew its congressional lines, the process stretched over several months and included statewide public hearings. This time, lawmakers will be under greater pressure to move quickly.

Candidate filing for the 2026 primary opens Jan. 7, leaving a narrow window for debate, map approval and potential legal challenges.

The next regularly scheduled legislative session will kick off in January.

Special session just one week away

Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder called Braun’s decision to convene a special session “a political stunt at the expense of every working Hoosier,” accusing state Republicans of bowing to national pressure.

“This is not democracy. This is desperation,” Yoder, of Bloomington, said in a statement issued on behalf of the Senate Democrat Caucus.

She said the push to redraw maps mid-decade “proves” Democrats’ warnings of a broader national effort to erode democratic norms.

“There is no new census, no court order and no support from the public,” Yoder said. “There is only political greed and fear — fear of voters, fear of accountability, fear of losing power the right way, at the ballot box.”

Braun has maintained that his goal is to “let the Legislature lead,” emphasizing that he wants the process to unfold through normal legislative channels rather than by executive dictate.

The Republican governor had previously said he would wait to call lawmakers back until they signaled readiness, telling reporters in August, “You’re going to hear individual representatives and senators speak up … that process will take a while to play out.”

But Braun also warned that “if we try to drag our feet as a state on it, probably, we’ll have consequences of not working with the Trump administration as tightly as we should.”

Indiana’s GOP legislative leaders have met at least three times with Vance in recent weeks. Bray described the latest conversation as “productive,” though he stopped short of confirming whether Senate Republicans were fully united behind an early redraw.

Before Braun’s decision, opposition had been building among both Democrats and some Republicans.

Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, said in August that there is “no justification” for revisiting maps drawn less than four years ago, arguing that redistricting should occur only after the decennial census. And Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, separately told the Indiana Capital Chronicle earlier this month that most lawmakers she’s spoken with aren’t eager to reopen the maps.

Democrats have likewise accused the governor and GOP leaders of orchestrating a “partisan power grab” meant to benefit Trump-aligned candidates. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder of Bloomington said following Vance’s October visit to Indiana that Republicans “don’t have the votes, currently” to pass new maps without dissent within their own ranks.

That skepticism appears to mirror public sentiment.

Multiple polls — including one released in August and one earlier this month — have found that the majority of Hoosiers oppose early redistricting.

One statewide survey found that a majority of Hoosiers — about 53% — oppose early redistricting, compared to just 34% who support it. Another survey showed waning trust in both parties, with growing numbers of voters saying they feel disconnected from state political leadership.

But in recent days, a flurry of Senate Republicans have announced their support.

The Capital Chronicle has been tracking public statements on the proposal. As of Monday, 11 Senate Republicans have come out in support, while five are against. The rest of the 40-member caucus is undecided or haven’t commented publicly.

This story will be updated.

The post Indiana governor summons lawmakers for redistricting session amid national GOP pressure appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — On a warm October evening — thirteen months before next year’s general election and in the middle of a government shutdown — the political gears were turning in Warsaw.

About two dozen people, including one with a bullhorn, attempted to blunt the enthusiasm of some 300 diehard Republicans who gathered at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion Monday to show support for four Kosciusko County Council candidates who plan to run in next year's election.

[caption id="attachment_120701" align="alignright" width="420"] An unidentified woman at right leads a series of chants Monday night outside of the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw, where Republicans had gathered for a candidate reception. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The small but vocal gathering protested outside of the pavilion with hopes of catching the attention of two Republican members of Congress who were expected to attend the event.

The huge political gathering inside was organized weeks ago to support four district council candidates — Tony Ciriello, Dave Wolkins, Brad Jackson, and Joe Irwin, who will be on the May primary ballot and already gained the support of an impressive list of Republicans.

[caption id="attachment_120702" align="alignright" width="420"] Third District Congressman Marlin Stutzman smiles while addressing a large crowd Monday at a reception for candidates at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The protest outside the pavilion entrance was hastily arranged and announced to the media on Monday. It attracted a smaller crowd compared to previous recnt rallies held earlier this year near the Warsaw library.

But everyone arriving at the reception was fully aware of the protest.

Monday's protest was moved to get the attention of US Reps. Marlin Stutzman and Rudy Yakym. Stutzman attended and spoke at the reception and Yakym, who did not attend, provided a taped message.

The impromptu protest coincides with a growing concern among some that Republicans do not intend to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Without the subsidies, premiums are expected to double or triple, making the insurance unaffordable for many Americans.

"Republicans have been in control of all three branches of government, and they've done nothing about healthcare," said Robert Osbun, treasurer for the Kosciusko County Democratic Party who talked with News Now Warsaw during the protest.

"Their only solution to healthcare is to cut it. They can extend tax cuts for millionaires, but they cut healthcare for us. That's the solution for health care? Americans aren't buying it," Osbun said.

Brian Smith, who chairs the Democratic Party's 2nd Congressional District, said the protesters intentionally targeted the GOP gathering.

"We also wanted to let people know that while Republicans are busy fundraising like everything is business as usual, we're fighting to save their healthcare," Smith said.

Rokita brought up the protesters while making a pitch for the four candidates.

"Who rented the protesters?" Rokita quipped.

"These people put illegal aliens above you. These people put criminals on the street above you. They do not like America as we know it," Rokita said.  "And it's time to stop coddling."

Stutzman spoke briefly.

“It’s great to be with you. I’m on furlough right now,” Stutzman said.

“I keep coming home and people keep telling me, ‘Just leave it shut down,’ “ he said, adding, “We’re actually saving money this way.’ ”

Mishler emceed the candidate reception.

The four candidates each highlighted their conservative approach to governance.

Jackson is a former county commissioner who announced his run two weeks ago and is running for a seat currently held form fellow Republican Kimkberly Cates.

Irwin, who was appointed by a GOP caucus earlier this year, said he wants to represent farm interests.

Wolkins is a former state lawmaker and former Winona Lake Town Council member.

Ciriello is a longtime coroner and has a lengthy background in law enforcement. He currently serves as council president.

[caption id="attachment_120704" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita stands in the middle of a crowd during his address Monday at the GOP reception in Warsaw. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_120703" align="aligncenter" width="696"] A view of Monday's reception at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw. News Now Warsw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_120706" align="aligncenter" width="696"] An unidentified woman (Center) leads a series of chants Monday night outside of the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw, where Republicans had gathered for a candidate reception. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The post Hundreds of Republicans rally behind four candidates amid nearby protests appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — More than 60 people turned out for a Labor Day rally in downtown Warsaw, decrying rising prices in various parts of the US economy.

Monday’s overarching theme concentrated on economic issues, including the cost of housing, groceries, insurance, and taxes.

Robert Osbun, the Kosciusko County Democratic Party treasurer who helped organize the rally, contends President Trump is ignoring the economy.

Trump promised to lower prices on Day One. Instead, he’s done anything but that. Instead, he’s focused on DEI, harassing immigrants, and invading cities,” Osbun said.

“He’s done nothing to help working families,” he said.

Osbun said many of Indiana’s Republican leaders, including Congressmen Rudy Yakym andMarlin Stutzman, US Sens. Jim Banks and Todd Young and” Gov. Mike Braun are “too afraid of Trump’s retributions to stop the attacks on the economy and Democracy.

The protest, one of many organized locally in the first nine months of President Trump’s second term, also drew attention to other issues, including efforts by President Trump to push Indiana Republicans into considering a mid-decade congressional redistricting, which one protester said is a form of election fraud.

One woman at the protest said such a move is tantamount to election fraud.

She said she thinks Gov. Mike Braun will push forward with calling for a special session to order the redistricting regardless of public opinion.

“They no longer measure whether it’s popular or not. They just do what the orange guy says," the woman said. 

Brian Smith, who serves as the Democratic Party's 2nd District Congressional Chair, also took a shot at Congressman Rudy Yakym's opposition to the electric vehicle tax credit that would have benefited Slate Auito as it begins production next year in Warsaw. As a result, the company has had to raise its base to $25,000.

“What Rudy Yakym is doing – his votes in DC – specifically the bill that repeals the EV tax credit, is negatively impacting our city in Warsaw and his district.”

A few agitators showed up once again, occasionally revving engines. blaring horns and squealing tires near protesters lined North Detroit Street across from the library.

Warsaw Police maintained a presence near the protest area. One person was pulled. Another was detained and cited for violation of the city noise ordinance.

The one who was ticketed told News Now Wasaw he was given permission by somebody at the Pak-a-Sac gas station and that that gave him the right to honk his horn for long stretches of time because he was on private property.

Police then arrived and cited him for the noise violation.

Similar protests were held in South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Niles, Michigan.

Below are a few photos of protesters and (at the bottom) a counter-protester who was cited for a violation of the city's noise ordinance. News Now Warsaw photos by Dan Spalding.

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From the White House to the Statehouse, mid-cycle redistricting took center stage Tuesday as dozens of GOP legislators talked with Trump officials about a variety of topics, including the controversial map do-over.

Meanwhile, Democrat lawmakers called out their colleagues and Hoosiers gathered to protest the maneuver.

One staunch opponent, Rep. Jim Lucas, said his stance softened after hearing from Vice President JD Vance. Previously a “hard no,” Lucas said he isn’t yet a yes but he is worried about the paralyzing effect a Democratic House majority would have on President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“I’m open minded to it,” Lucas summarized. “… we’ve seen what happens when the Democrats have the House. President Trump spent his first four years fighting off attack after attack after attack.”

In particular, he pointed to the potential of nuclear facilities proposed under Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, saying that his constituents were battling increased utility costs.

“If the Trump administration is bogged down fighting Democrat attacks for the next two years after the midterms, then all Hoosiers lose out,” Lucas said.

Much of the conversation with White House officials on Tuesday confirmed that Indiana “is on the right track,” he added, stressing that redistricting wasn’t the only topic.

“The biggest takeaway is how genuinely nice and down to earth everybody in that administration is,” said Lucas, a Republican from Seymour. “There was absolutely zero pressure applied on us. No threats, nothing like that.”

He emphasized that much of the discussion centered on how Indiana leads in comparison to other states, including its ban on using food benefits to purchase soda and candy. He pointed to concerns about the state fiscal impacts of chronic health conditions like obesity and diabetes, especially for the Hoosiers enrolled on Medicaid.

“We’re already doing a lot of those things,” said Lucas about agenda items like school vouchers and immigration. “… It was really nice. A lot of that meeting, they basically praised Indiana for the great job we’re doing.”

House Speaker Todd Huston and Sen. Pro Tem Rodric Bray reportedly had a private meeting with Trump, according to Politico reporters, who said “more than” 55 lawmakers attended. Huston’s daughter, Liz, is an assistant to Trump’s press secretary.

Another Indiana Liz — Sen. Liz Brown of Fort Wayne — had some choice words on redistricting following the meeting, citing curses from prominent national Democrats about redistricting.

“The rhetoric coming out of Democrats’ mouths right now as they call for liberal states to gerrymander in Democrats’ favor is violent and disgusting,” said Brown on Facebook.

“I attended because Hoosiers know our conservative values could be at stake if states like California are allowed to have a louder liberal voice in Congress. I support President Trump in his efforts and I look forward to returning to Indiana and discussing next-steps to ensure our conservative values are fairly represented in D.C.,” she concluded.

At least three lawmakers, including Lucas, said they didn’t use taxpayer dollars to fund the trip. All lawmakers are allowed to claim one trip annually, though communications staff with the Republican caucuses said they didn’t know who might file for that reimbursement.

From the airport

Earlier Tuesday morning, as Republicans potentially caught flights to the nation’s capital, Democrats urged their counterparts to resist Trump’s redistricting push at a “Sayonara, Sellouts” press conference held at the Indianapolis International Airport.

Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, shared that lawmakers would receive roughly $213 per day for a special session, a higher rate than their typical non-session pay. Across all 150 legislators, that would be a nearly $32,000 daily expense for food and housing. That doesn’t include mileage.

Hunley called on her Republican colleagues to forgo not only their travel stipend for the Washington D.C. trip, but also their allowances during a special session.

“It’s time to put your money where your mouth is, not just the taxpayers’ dime,” Hunley said. “At a time when our state budget is already crunched, it is so irresponsible to ask our taxpayers to foot the bill.”

Additionally, outside legal counsel might be needed if the maps are challenged in court. Attorney General Todd Rokita vowed to defend any new maps in a Tuesday release.

The gathered Democrats seemed confident that a lawsuit would be necessary if proposed maps divvy up Marion County’s 7th Congressional District. It’s the state’s most racially and ethnically diverse district, with less than half of residents identifying as white.

“I don’t see that Republicans will be able to get nine Republican districts without carving up the minority votes in the minority districts,” said Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis.

Pryor asserted that District 7 was already drawn in a way to advantage Republicans, who shaped the district to include the upper two-thirds of Marion County, rather than the bottom two-thirds, in 2021. She said that was done to shore up Republican support in the 5th District north of Indianapolis, which was turning purple prior to the change.

Democrats openly wondered if Hoosier Republicans felt financial pressure, noting that Indiana is the third-most reliant state on federal funding. They also referenced newly released polling indicating that most Hoosiers oppose mid-decade redistricting.

But Pryor didn’t think it would be enough.

“I think we will go into a special session; I think that Republicans will fall in line; and I think that we will have to have a lawsuit,” Pryor said. “… (but) I hope that they have backbone, and I hope that they can come up with the courage to say no to Donald Trump.”

At the Statehouse

Hundreds of irate Hoosiers rallied behind the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday evening, booing Indiana’s Republican U.S. representatives — all seven professed their support last Monday — and cheering for the smattering of GOP state lawmakers who’ve come out in opposition.

“We want to thank the elected officials who are actually standing up to incredible pressure from D.C. to change these maps mid-decade,” Indiana Conservation Voters Executive Director Megan Robertson said, to cheers from the crowd.

“We’ve had about 10, 11 Republicans come out publicly, too, saying they don’t want it, so we need to thank them — and keep that backbone! Be strong!” She continued. “They’re doing what’s right, and we need them to know that we’ve got their backs.”

Speakers repeatedly denounced the effort as “cheating.”

The president and his supporters “know that they can’t run on merit because their ideas are terrible,” MADVoters Indiana Executive Director Amy Courtney said. “… If you can’t win on merit, what do you do? Well, if you’re Donald Trump or his sycophant, (Gov.) Mike Braun, or any of the MAGA Republicans, apparently, the answer is, you cheat!”

Courtney called on attendees to “resist,” adding, “Don’t give them the privilege of your apathy. Don’t tune out. Take action today to use your voice and demand fair elections, because there can be no cheaters in a democracy.”

The Rev. David Greene, president of the Concerned Clergy of Greater Indianapolis, noted the effort may target Indiana’s only Black member of Congress — Democratic Rep. André Carson — and the votes of those he represents.

“We must call it what it is: modern day voter suppression,” Greene said. “It’s being done with software instead of segregation. It’s being done with district lines instead of a poll tax. … Sixty years ago, the Voting Rights Act was signed because people marched; they bled and died for the right to be counted. Now, in 2025, some want to reverse that progress.”

He, like other speakers and attendees, blamed out-of-state influences.

“Gov. Braun, let me speak clearly and directly to you,” Greene said. “This is not Texas. This is not Florida. This is Indiana. We don’t need Washington insiders telling us how to draw our lines or silence our neighbors.”

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The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

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