Republicans' hopes of re-carving Texas congressional districts to increase the number of Republicans the Lone Star state sends to Congress are not limited to Texas or something new. Efforts to Republicanize districts include the longtime Democratic stronghold in northwest Indiana, Congressional District One. Conservatives almost succeeded in flipping the seat with gerrymandering and with the aid of a very low Black voter registration and election-day turnout.
In 2022, Republicans recruited a Black woman, Air Force veteran Jennifer-Ruth Green, to run against incumbent U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan. The district borders Chicago and includes the majority minority cities of East Chicago, Hammond, and Gary in Lake County.
*Non-Voters Top the List
| Candidate |
Percent Vote |
|
| Did Not Vote |
36.85 |
winner |
| Donald Trump |
31.59 |
|
| Kamala Harris |
30.66 |
|
| Jill Stein |
.32 |
|
| Robert Kennedy, Jr |
.31 |
|
| Chase Oliver |
.26 |
|
*Source: University of Florida Election Lab and Cook Political Report
Mrvan won in 2020 with 57 percent of the vote, and in 2022 with nearly 53% of the vote. He repeated the slim victory in 2024 against Lake County Councilman Randy Niemeyer with 53% of the vote.
An analysis by Capital B-Gary revealed that in Lake County, the affluent majority White St. John has the highest voter turnout in 2024 at 70 percent. Gary, home to Lake County's highest concentration of Black voters, had the second-lowest voter turnout rate in the county, with only 43% of registered voters showing up at the polls. Turnout in Gary was down more than 4% from 2020, and the city saw a notable decline in registered voters.
In 2024, the Gary's most affluent and White section had a turnout of 50 percent, while the more economically challenged downtown area had the lowest turnout at 34 percent.
"Don't count on Democrats turning out in 2026, especially in Black communities," says Port of Harlem Facebook follower Ric Irick of Washington, DC. Historically, he laments," There was more voter participation by Black men way back in 1870 than in 2024!"
He says he is baffled by the low turnout and suggested that more Blacks learn the rules of the game. "More of us are interested in sports than politics," he continued, "There is more excitement around protesting after elections than in organizing in advance."
