INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Pete Buttigieg, a former U.S. secretary of transportation and South Bend mayor, said Thursday that redrawing Indiana’s congressional districts midcycle would mean Republican lawmakers would decide the results of the election.

Buttigieg headlined a rally against mid-decade redistricting that drew roughly 300-400 people to the Indiana Statehouse. His comments came two days after Republican Gov. Mike Braun said things appeared to be moving in the direction of a special redistricting session, and that it would take place between early November and early January if he called one. Braun has repeatedly said he will not call a special session unless the Republican House and Senate caucuses clearly signal they want him to do so.

Buttigieg said the fact Republicans still have not called a special session indicates they know doing so is not only wrong, but also deeply unpopular with Indiana voters.

“They don’t want to answer for being controlled by Washington like this,” Buttigieg said. “And so they’re hesitating. Even with all of the pressure coming their way from Washington, a lot of them haven’t quite committed to doing the deed.”

Buttigieg, who ran as a Democrat for president in 2020 before dropping out and later becoming President Joe Biden’s secretary of transportation, has been floated as a possible presidential candidate in 2028. He made no reference in his remarks to mounting a campaign, although one protester could be seen holding up a sign reading “Pete 4 Prez!”

It’s been roughly a month and a half since Vice President JD Vance met with Braun and with top legislative Republicans at the Statehouse to personally lobby for a mid-decade redistricting session. A few Republican state lawmakers have publicly changed their position to supporting such a move, but there has still been no word from lawmakers where their caucus as a whole stands. Republicans already control seven of Indiana’s nine congressional seats.

Several protesters told News 8 that it makes little sense for Democrats to hold as few congressional seats as they do given that they consistently pull about 40% of the vote in statewide elections, and it makes even less sense for Democrats to hold no seats in Congress at all.

“The argument is that I deserve no representation?” Indianapolis resident George Brenner said. “That’s absurd. Forty percent of the people in Indiana did not vote for this regime, and I call it a regime on purpose.”

In an interview with News 8 for Sunday’s “All INdiana Politics” at the end of August, Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Baird said population shifts since 2020 justify redrawing the map.

Noblesville voter Deanna Baker said lawmakers should instead wait for the next census in 2030, and then base their decision on that census’ data, as they have in the past. “We deserve to have just a vote, and then have the results of the vote indicate our candidate. We shouldn’t go and have a special session. We should only do it like we’ve done in the years past.”

Other speakers were even more blunt. Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, said any attempt to redraw the maps would mean going after two districts that contain large numbers of Black voters. “We’re going to call this out for what it is. This is a racist power grab to silence voters that look like me. That’s exactly what it is.”

Buttigieg, along with Democratic state lawmakers, urged protesters to call or write to Republican lawmakers, particularly those in whose districts they reside, to tell them to oppose calling a special session.

The offices of Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston, and Senate President pro tempore Rod Bray did not return News 8’s request for comment about the rally.

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