newsdive.net · NewsDive · September 9, 2026
Federal judge supports Missouri's revised House districting plan following Supreme Court's dismissal of the appeal. - News Dive
# Federal judge supports Missouri’s revised House districting plan following Supreme Court’s dismissal of the appeal.
Sep 9, 2026
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NewsDive
A federal judge announced on Tuesday that Missouri will temporarily implement a new congressional map that is advantageous to Republicans, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling from the state’s Supreme Court mandating the use of an older map.
The Supreme Court denied an appeal from Missouri officials who aimed to utilize new congressional districts endorsed by former President Trump for the upcoming November election. This decision comes as a setback for Republicans, who were optimistic that the new map could assist them in maintaining their narrow majority in the House. The justices affirmed the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling, which indicated that the new districts could not be utilized in the November elections due to a citizen petition requiring a statewide vote.
In a related move, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary restraining order in a separate lawsuit challenging the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling. He stated that the plaintiffs would suffer “irreparable harm” if the ruling remained in place, as “many Missouri voters would have to cast their general-election votes for candidates whom they had no role in nominating.”
This ruling adds to the uncertainty surrounding which congressional boundaries will be in effect come November.
The new congressional maps, approved by the state legislature in the previous year, significantly altered the district of long-serving Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver, making it lean more towards the Republican side.
The new districts were utilized during the August primaries; however, the Missouri Supreme Court recently decided that the state must revert to districts established following the last census.
Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who sought intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court, contended that changing districts between the primary and general elections would infringe upon federal rights and generate confusion.
“Missouri is facing a federal-election-administration disaster,” Hanaway cautioned in an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court, warning that this situation could lead to “unprecedented chaos” and render the primary elections “utterly pointless.”
She further expressed concern over the state’s uncertainty regarding its ability to implement a revised congressional map in time for the federal elections.
Richard Von Glahn, the plaintiff challenging the new maps, advised the U.S. Supreme Court against intervening, arguing that the state delayed addressing the issue of Missouri’s congressional district map by postponing the rejection of the referendum petition until last month.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh declined to grant Hanaway’s request for the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene on Tuesday.
Currently, Missouri’s congressional delegation consists of six Republicans and two Democrats, elected under district maps approved by Republican state officials in 2022.
Under pressure from Trump, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe convened a special legislative session last year to redraw congressional boundaries favorably for Republicans ahead of the midterms.
The modified map specifically aimed at the 5th Congressional District, represented by Cleaver, reassigning parts of Kansas City to neighboring Republican-held districts while extending the remaining parts of Cleaver’s district into rural areas that lean Republican.
Cleaver faced no opposition in the Democratic primary, while State Senator Rick Brattin emerged victorious in the Republican primary within the newly configured district.
On the same day as the primary, Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins dismissed a petition containing thousands of signatures that sought to mandate a November referendum on the new map, asserting that Missouri’s Constitution prohibits referendums on congressional redistricting. A lower court supported Hoskins’ ruling, but the state Supreme Court overturned this decision.
The state’s highest court determined that the new districts had been retroactively invalidated in December, when the petition signatures were collected, and thus were never enacted as law. In accordance with the state court’s order, Hoskins designated the redistricting referendum as Proposition A for the November ballot.
While the Missouri Constitution does not explicitly allow for a referendum on congressional redistricting, the state Supreme Court interpreted a constitutional provision permitting a referendum on “any act” of the Legislature to include congressional redistricting measures.
Missouri became the second Republican-led state, following Texas, to respond to Trump’s call last year to redraw congressional districts. Other states soon followed suit. Overall, Republicans aimed to gain as many as 16 additional seats through newly enacted congressional maps across eight states: Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Alabama.
On the other hand, Democrats, facing multiple setbacks in their counter efforts, believe they could secure up to six extra seats from newly drawn districts in California and Utah.
It remains uncertain whether the redistricting will yield the desired results for Republicans, as historically, the president’s party tends to lose congressional seats during midterm elections, and Trump’s low approval ratings could pose further challenges for Republican candidates.