Dear Editor,

Could there be a spark of ethics left in the Republican party? In a rebuke of Trump, the Republican controlled state Senate for Indiana voted 31 to 19 to skip the mid cycle re-districting that Trump had been pushing for months. Trump threatened to cut off all funding to Indiana, and to “primary” anyone who resisted his call to re-draw the districts to favor Republicans. 21 of Indiana’s Republican senators joined all 10 Democrats to defeat the proposed mid cycle redistricting, despite ominous warnings of political and financial retaliation, including losing federal funding as punishment. Yet these Republican lawmakers saw fit to resist the pressure and vote their consciences.   

We know the gerrymandering battle is far from over, as many Republican state legislatures have begun the process of carving up their voting districts to gain more seats to “rig” the 2026 election.  Democrats have responded in kind, as several of the states they control have begun the process of redistricting in mid cycle as well.

We know who loses in this battle, the American people.  We end up with more and more “safe seats” that are filled with dogmatic, uncompromising ideologues on both sides.  Let’s hear it for Indiana for showing courage in the face of tremendous pressure.  This is a small but significant victory for small “d” democracy. The Hoosiers are showing us a way forward. 

Indiana Senator Lisa Desjardins is quoted as saying, “This was never about one party winning or losing.  It was about whether Indiana would honor a simple promise: voters choose their leaders, not the other way around.”

Bill Thibedeau

Gilpin County