Missouri Supreme Court rejects congressional district maps mid-election

In a unanimous Sept. 3 decision, Missouri’s Supreme Court struck down congressional district maps approved by the state legislature, despite the fact that Missourians had already voted in primary elections under those maps.

The new congressional district lines “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters,” the court ruled. “The congressional redistricting the General Assembly established in 2022 remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election.”

Missouri’s Republican-led legislature approved new congressional district maps late last year, aiming to strip Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of his district and hand the GOP an extra seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the legislature did not violate the state constitution in redrawing the maps.

The state’s Supreme Court became involved in the case again when Missouri’s Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a petition to hold a referendum on the maps, arguing that the Missouri Constitution does not require the legislature’s redistricting to be approved by a referendum.

“Whether they had one signature or 500 million signatures doesn’t really matter,” Hoskinshe said at an August press conference, because the bid to block the maps from being used is “unconstitutional.”

The Democrat-aligned political action committee People Not Politicians sued to block the new maps from being used. The Supreme Court agreed that the petition for a referendum was “legal, sufficient, and timely” and that Hoskins “incorrectly concluded otherwise.”

Missouri Democrats trumpeted the court’s ruling as a victory, saying in an X post, “The Missouri Supreme Court just unanimously ruled to reverse the gerrymandered, anti-democracy maps until THE PEOPLE have a chance to vote.”

Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway pledged to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

“Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election. This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full‑fledged constitutional crisis,” she said on X. “We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised — which is what today’s decision does.”

President Donald Trump also weighed in, criticizing the Missouri justices for “ridiculously” ruling against the redrawn maps.

“The problem is, according to Legal Scholars, that not only was the ruling horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional, but there won’t be enough time to change the map back with the Election coming up in a very short period of time,” he said in a Truth Social post. “The Election Process, as usual, is being disturbed in America! Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!"