The Supreme Court has dismissed attempts to reinstate Missouri’s Trump-endorsed congressional map for the November midterm elections. This marks the third time the effort has been denied this month. With absentee ballots already in circulation, the court cited potential ‘electoral chaos’ if changes were made at such a late stage. Missouri will proceed using the districts established after the 2020 census.
The Republican Party anticipated the map could offer them an additional House seat. However, the decision ensures Missouri voters will use the same district lines applied in the 2022 elections.
Missouri’s Governor, Mike Kehoe, expressed disappointment stating, “Voters deserved consistency and certainty.” He affirmed that the state would adhere to the Court’s order.
The court’s opinion emphasized the ongoing election process, noting that ballots were already printed and mailed. Voting for absentee, military, and overseas voters had begun. Missouri election officials stated that returning to the 2025 map was ‘practically impossible’ at this stage.
We are done with corrupt politicians trying to force their map into effect outside the process outlined in the Missouri constitution,
said Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri. The group aims to vote against Proposition A, following the recent ruling.
The decision follows a series of conflicting court rulings. Missouri lawmakers approved a new map for 2025, favoring Republican changes in districts before the midterms. While state and federal courts issued various decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld its ruling of using the previously adopted districts for the 2026 election.
Changes in Missouri’s Congressional Map
The 2025 map significantly altered the 5th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, by removing parts of Kansas City. It extended the district eastward into rural Republican territories. Other districts also experienced boundary adjustments. While Republicans control six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats, they sought to gain a seventh with the amended map.
Despite the August primary elections using the new map, the prior district boundaries will serve the November election. Voters will decide on the map’s future in the upcoming election.
The primary saw Republican State Senator Rick Brattin securing a win in the GOP race for the 5th District. Despite changes in district lines, Brattin remains a candidate in the general election alongside an unopposed Cleaver.
The legal fight over Missouri’s redistricting has led to 16 lawsuits in state and federal courts. The revised map faced multiple challenges, including arguments against mid-decade redistricting and failure to meet district compactness requirements.
Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins delayed rejecting a petition for a statewide vote on the map until the last legal moment. The Missouri Supreme Court validated the referendum petition, instructing not to use the newly drawn districts.
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed this decision, despite a contradictory directive from U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark. Ultimately, the Supreme Court blocked Clark’s decision, leading to the most recent denial of the Trump-backed map by the court.
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