The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocked a Republican-backed congressional map on Thursday, ruling that the newly drawn districts cannot be used in the November election. The decision marks a rare legal setback for national GOP efforts to secure an additional House seat and protect a narrow majority in midterm contests.
Court Upholds Citizen Referendum Petition
The state supreme court placed the contested boundaries on hold after citizens submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures seeking a public referendum. While Missouri’s constitution does not explicitly reference referendum petitions for congressional redistricting, the court ruled that a broader provision allowing referendums on “any act” of the legislature applies to the map.
“The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,” the court stated in its ruling. The legislation adopting the new boundaries “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.”
Legal Battle Over Missouri’s Fifth District
The redistricting fight stemmed from a special legislative session called last year by Governor Mike Kehoe following pressure from national Republicans to reconfigure districts to their advantage. Lawmakers dramatically altered the fifth congressional district, stretching it eastward into rural Republican areas. An Associated Press estimate noted that approximately 59% of voters in the revised district were newly added.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the referendum petition on August primary election day, arguing that the referendum process does not apply to congressional maps. Although a lower court initially backed Hoskins, the state supreme court overturned that decision.
Fallout for November General Election
With the new map blocked, the congressional boundaries established after the 2020 census remain in full force for the upcoming general election. Emanuel Cleaver, who represents the Kansas City-based fifth district and has consistently won at least 60% of the vote in past elections, will run under the prior map configuration.
Attorneys representing Hoskins and Republican party committees argued that reverting to the former districts close to the election would cause voter confusion. However, the state supreme court’s ruling ensures voters will ultimately decide whether to uphold or reject the Republican-drawn map at a future statewide vote.
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