A Northern Indiana Republican state senator announced that he will vote against a new redistricting plan after Trump used a widely condemned slur in a Thanksgiving social media post targeting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
GOP State Sen. Mike Bohacek said in a Facebook post that Trump’s comment—calling Walz the “r-word”—was personally offensive and unacceptable.
The term, once used in medical contexts, is now broadly recognized as derogatory toward people with intellectual disabilities.
“Those of you that don’t know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down Syndrome,” Bohacek wrote. “This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences.”
Trump’s comment was part of a series of anti-immigrant posts made on Thanksgiving Day. The former president has also been pressuring Republican lawmakers in several states, including Indiana, to redraw congressional maps to create additional safe GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Indiana’s redistricting effort had appeared stalled earlier in November after Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray said the chamber lacked the votes to proceed.
But Bray reversed course on Nov. 25, saying the Senate would act on whatever proposal the House passes. The House is scheduled to debate new maps on Dec. 1, with the Senate set to vote on Dec. 8. Any approved measure would go to Gov. Mike Braun for consideration.
Bohacek had not previously announced a position on redistricting. He was among 19 Republican senators who favored reconvening in January rather than holding a December session on the issue.
Indiana’s redistricting fight has grown increasingly tense in recent weeks, drawing criticism from Trump and even prompting threats directed at lawmakers at their homes.
Bohacek’s announcement adds a new wrinkle to the already fractious debate, highlighting how Trump’s rhetoric continues to shape—and divide—Republican politics in the state.
