Republican control of Indiana Senate likely set with new map

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INDIANAPOLIS — A Republican-drawn redistricting plan for Indiana’s state Senate appears set to secure the party’s control of the chamber for another decade.

The proposal for the new Senate election districts released Tuesday comes as the Republican-dominated Legislature intends to give final approval by the end of next week for all of Indiana’s congressional and legislative seats.

The redistricting based on population shifts from the 2020 census creates one new likely Democratic Senate seat in Indianapolis as most rural counties across the state lost population and the Indianapolis area added residents.

But no significant shifts look likely from the current 39-11 Republican supermajority in the state Senate, which allows Republicans to approve proposals without any Democrats being present. Republicans have had continuous majority control of the Senate since the 1978 elections.

Republican Senate leaders said the new maps keep more counties in a single district while accounting for the shift in population from rural areas.

An Indiana House committee on Monday endorsed on party lines Republican plans for new congressional and Indiana House districts lasting until the 2030 elections that political analysts say protects GOP dominance.

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