The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the state's new congressional districts, which were backed by President Donald Trump, cannot be used in the upcoming November general election. This decision marks a significant setback for Republicans in the national redistricting battle, as they had hoped these new boundaries would help them secure an additional seat and maintain their slim House majority.
The court ordered a statewide vote on whether to uphold or reject the new map. While these new districts were utilized in the August primaries, the Supreme Court stated they cannot be used in November or anytime thereafter unless voters approve them. This means that the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census, which includes six GOP-leaning and two Democratic-leaning districts, will remain in effect for the November 2026 general election.
The new map was reportedly designed to disadvantage long-time Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver by redrawing his Kansas City-area district to lean Republican. Cleaver, who won by almost 24 percentage points in 2024, will now seek re-election in his original, heavily Democratic seat. The redesigned 5th District, which was blocked, was drawn so that Trump would have won it by more than 17 points in 2024.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, stated she would immediately appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, asserting that the ruling has created a "full-fledged constitutional crisis." Trump criticized the ruling on social media, calling it "horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional" and suggesting it disrupts the election process. Advocacy group People Not Politicians Missouri celebrated the ruling, having gathered over 300,000 signatures to challenge the Republican redistricting effort.
