INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Democratic Party is today calling out Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer for his comments this weekend saying that Republicans should “own” over 90% of the seats in the state legislature.
These comments show the Indiana GOP’s continued attack on democracy. Democrats routinely get over 40% of the vote in Indiana, yet control just 30 percent of the seats in the State House and 20 percent of the seats in the State Senate.
IMPORTANTVILLE, 7.9: “Indiana Republicans hold more than 90 percent of all county-elected offices. Is there a ceiling in this November’s municipal elections? Or could you get more?
“Can you disavow folks of this cockamamie gerrymandering talk? I mean, we’re underrepresented in the legislature. We should own 90 percent of it if the lines were drawn accurately.”
In 2021, Republican lawmakers met behind closed doors to draw one of the most gerrymandered maps in the country, leaving Hoosiers with limited competitive races and protecting incumbents.
“Quite frankly the only way Republicans would win 90 percent of the seats in our state is by scrapping one-person, one vote,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl. “Indiana Republicans do not want fair elections, or for voters to be able to have a choice. These comments show once again that they do not value democracy. Republicans want to pick their voters instead of letting Hoosiers pick who represents them. The best way to send them a message that our votes count is for Hoosiers to elect more Democrats at the local level this November and begin to bring more balance back to our state.”
Hoosiers deserve better leadership than what the Indiana Republicans have put on display for 20 years. Our local schools are struggling to retain teachers, voters are cut out of the equation, and tens of thousands are being kicked off Medicaid every month.
Republicans have told on themselves by saying they want to “own” the legislature, instead of allowing it to be the people’s house, one which is reflective of all the diverse voices of our state.
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