1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my profound disappointment in your vote supporting mid-decade redistricting in Indiana. Your decision to back President Trump's unusual redistricting effort has cost you my support and my vote in future elections. The Indiana Senate voted 31 to 19 against this redistricting plan on Thursday, with 12 of your Republican colleagues joining all Democrats in rejecting this transparent attempt at partisan manipulation. Republican state Senator Spencer Deery articulated what many of us feel when he explained that his opposition was driven by conservative principles and resistance to federal government overreach. He emphasized his commitment to resisting a federal government that attempts to bully and control states. Your vote contradicted the will of Indiana voters who understand that redistricting should follow the decennial census count, not the political whims of any president. The protesters outside the chamber who chanted "vote no" and "Hoosiers fight fair" represented the values that should guide our state's elected officials. Instead, you sided with those who, as Republican state Senator Mike Young stated, viewed this purely as a matter of political gain to help keep the U.S. House under Republican control. This was not about good governance or representing your constituents fairly. Democrats currently hold just two of Indiana's nine U.S. House seats, and this redistricting effort would have further diluted the voting power of minority communities while undermining the integrity of our democratic process. I am proud that Indiana ultimately stood up to federal pressure and threats of primary challenges. I am ashamed that you were not among those who defended our state's independence and our voters' voices. Your vote has demonstrated where your loyalties lie, and they are not with the constituents you were elected to serve. You have lost my support permanently.