THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM INDIANA STATE SENATOR SPENCER DEERY’S OFFICE
STATEHOUSE (Aug. 13, 2025) — “When I was a candidate for the position I now hold, I promised voters I would always tell them the truth, even if it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. While I am hopeful we will not incur the taxpayer expense of a special session, I want to be clear in advance about where I stand and the truth as I see it.
“I took an oath before God to support the Constitution. There is no constitutional principle more basic than popular sovereignty and the idea that voters choose their leaders and shape their own destiny.
“While any gerrymandering can arguably violate that principle, what we are being asked to do goes far beyond the partisan map fights that happen every 10 years across the country. Rationalizing a mid-cycle redistricting by saying, ‘Democrats gerrymander too’ is an empty and irrelevant excuse.
“Instead, we are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade — but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election. That would clearly violate the concept of popular sovereignty by making it harder for the people to hold their elected officials accountable and the country would be an uglier place for it.
“If a special session is called, I will stay true to my oath of office by standing up for the principle that candidates should win on the strength of their ideas and not on their ability to choose new voters.”
