Indiana Gov. Mike Braun drew the ire of the Wall Street Journal on Friday after threatening political payback against Republicans who torpedoed a Trump-backed plan to redraw congressional maps mid-decade.
“Political principle has been out of fashion, but it had a good day in Indiana on Thursday,” the Journal wrote in an editorial that praised Hoosier Republicans who rejected the proposal before criticizing Braun.
The redistricting effort, pushed by President Donald Trump, would have carved out two additional GOP House seats – a plan designed to give Republicans a shot at a clean sweep of Indiana’s congressional delegation. But Indiana’s lawmakers, including a surprising number of Republicans, rejected the mid-decade map, citing constitutional and federalist principles, the Journal noted.
Braun, however, aligned himself with Trump and immediately threatened consequences for GOP senators who opposed the bill. The Journal’s conservative editorial board framed Braun’s approach as politically reckless.
“Talk about self-defeating,” the board wrote Friday. “Why would a Republican Governor burn scarce campaign energy and resources to defeat fellow Republicans in what is likely to be a difficult midterm election year?”
The editorial went on to argue that Braun’s strong-arm tactics – part of a larger Washington pressure campaign – may have actually strengthened the opposition of senators who voted no. While the state remains MAGA territory, the Journal noted that “Republicans don’t appreciate being bullied.”
“They also still believe in state prerogatives,” the editorial said. “The Washington pressure campaign, turbocharged by Gov. Braun, may have hardened the no votes.”
The board concluded that while the decision by Indiana state senators won’t be the concluding factor in who wins the House next year, “it is a refreshing display of adherence to principle.”
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