Supreme Court Rejects Missouri Congressional Map
For the third occasion this month, the Supreme Court declined an attempt to reinstate Missouri’s Trump-supported congressional map for the November midterm elections. This marked the conclusion of a drawn-out legal struggle that risked disrupting voting after absentee ballots were already dispatched.
In a brief order, the justices highlighted the potential for substantial electoral disorder by altering maps at this late stage, thereby permitting Missouri to maintain the congressional boundaries established subsequent to the 2020 census. Republican aspirations were aimed at using the new map to secure an additional House seat. Consequently, Missouri voters will cast ballots under the district lines utilized in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Governor Mike Kehoe of Missouri expressed disappointment on X, commenting, “Today’s decision by the United States Supreme Court implies Missouri will conduct its November general election under a congressional map different from that of its primary election.” He stressed that voters deserved consistency and certainty without altering rules between elections and assured that Missouri would adhere to the Court’s order.
Details of the Court’s Decision
The court emphasized that the election process had already commenced, asserting, “Ballots using the 2022 map have been printed and mailed,” noting the initiation of absentee, military, and overseas voting. Missouri election officials stated that reverting to the 2025 map was “practically impossible” at this juncture.
Richard von Glahn, Executive Director of People Not Politicians Missouri, responded, “We finished with corrupt politicians attempting to enforce their map circumventing the process outlined in the Missouri constitution.” His group advocates for people, not politicians, making the final decision regarding this “DC power grab,” urging voters to reject Proposition A.
Map Conflict and Legal Challenges
The ruling followed conflicting decisions from state and federal courts about which map Missouri should utilize. Missouri lawmakers had approved a Trump-backed congressional map for 2025 to remodel the state’s districts ahead of the midterms. Yet, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in September that the map could only be implemented upon voter approval via a referendum, directing the state to utilize districts devised post-2020 census for 2026 elections.
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed that ruling to persist, but conflicting orders later emerged, necessitating intervention. Judge Stephen Clark mandated the use of the 2025 map, but the Supreme Court promptly blocked it. The 8th Circuit Court sided with the Trump-backed map, instructing its usage for the November election, only for the Supreme Court’s recent order to prohibit the change once more.
Impact of the 2025 Map
The revised map substantially altered Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, impacting representative Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat from Kansas City. The new district excluded segments of Kansas City, extending further east into rural Republican territories, affecting several districts.
Republicans, holding six of the state’s eight House seats, sought to exploit the updated map to secure a seventh seat. Despite using the new districts in the August primary, the November election will utilize previous boundaries, pending voter approval for the 2025 map.
Legal Battle Over Redistricting
Legal proceedings, encompassing 16 lawsuits, contested Missouri’s congressional redistricting process. Challenges were based on alleged violations of the state constitution and issues regarding district compaction. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rebuffed a petition for a statewide vote, asserting referendums couldn’t address redistricting.
The Missouri Supreme Court validated the petition on September 3, instructing Hoskins to apply the 2022 map. Subsequent federal orders led to conflicting directives and Hoskins facing temporary contempt charges for directing local officials to employ the new map.
The Eighth Circuit supported the Trump-backed map, ultimately leading to the Supreme Court’s decisive intervention.