The Indiana State Senate will reconvene Thursday to discuss a redistricting bill that could help keep Republicans in control of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2026 midterm elections. 

The legislation, which could give Republicans two more House seats from the Hoosier state, has faced a surprising amount of opposition from some Republican lawmakers even as other GOP legislators in states like Texas and Missouri have enthusiastically supported redistricting.

The Daily Signal spoke with Andrew Ireland, a freshman member of the Indiana House of Representatives, to discuss the state of play heading into today’s senate meeting. 

Ireland told The Daily Signal that the vote Thursday will probably be one of the closest the state senate has had in a long time. This despite the fact that there were blue states with no qualms about gerrymandering Republicans out of seats.

“When you look at what’s going on in states like Virginia now, where they’re almost certain to draw four Republicans off the map … it’s hard to imagine how Republicans in a bright red state, like Indiana, don’t want to respond,” Ireland explained. 

“We’ll just sit out of the fight and let the majority disappear on its own. That’s a frustration of mine, but I’m not in the [state] senate, so now I have to sit back and let the process play out,” he said.

The state lawmaker, who at 30 years of age represents a new generation of Republican leadership, emphasized the importance of having Republicans control the federal House of Representatives. 

“I think as much as people kind of see this as just a political piece, at the end of the day, this is very policy oriented too,” he stated.

“I mean the difference between two votes, if you look at the journey right now, is the difference between the One Big, Beautiful Bill passing and not, for example. And for all the frustrations that I and I’m sure others have with what happens in Washington and Republicans in Congress letting us down, I think we’ve also seen the consequences of having Democrats in the majority,” Ireland continued.

Ireland also cautioned about the impact a Democrat majority would have on the effectiveness of the last two years of the Trump administration.

“There’s no doubt that [the House Democrats would] proceed with investigation after investigation and impeachment after impeachment. They’ll use the subpoena power that they have to largely bring the administration to a halt.”

An attorney by occupation, Ireland also earned an MBA from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. Curious about his experiences in a foreign culture, I asked the Indiana lawmaker if there was anything Americans could learn from Korean society. He emphasized the chivalry that still exists in the East Asian nation.

“It’s a very family-oriented culture. When you go on the train, there was always a spot for expecting mothers. When the train gets crowded, you always gave up your seat for the elderly ladies,” he said.

“There’s something to be said for that,” Ireland added.

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