Missouri Supreme Court pauses GOP gerrymander, likely netting Democrats 1 House seat
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Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s original Kansas City-based district will likely stay in Democrats’ hands this fall. | Francis Chung/POLITICO
Missouri’s Supreme Court suspended a congressional map that state Republicans drew last year that would have netted the GOP an additional House seat, likely keeping the seat in Democratic hands this November.
The court ruled unanimously on Thursday that a referendum petition organized by Democrats to put the new congressional maps to a vote was incorrectly deemed insufficient by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins , and ordered that the gerrymandered map be put to a vote in the fall.
Voters will ultimately decide the fate of the new lines in November. But in the meantime, it cannot be in place for the midterms, meaning Rep. Emanuel Cleaver ’s original Kansas City-based district will likely stay in Democrats’ hands this fall.
“The congressional districts the General Assembly established in 2022 remain in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election, and HB 1 will not take effect unless and until approved by the voters at the November 2026 general election,” Judge Ginger K. Gooch wrote in the court’s 7-0 opinion.
The surprising decision creates an unprecedented set of electoral circumstances for Missouri voters and election administrators. The state’s primaries took place under the new lines while Hoskins delayed a decision on the referendum, but the general election will now rely on the previous maps.
For months, Missouri Republicans had signaled their intention to delay a ruling on Democrats’ referendum petition as long as possible while implementing the new maps in the primaries. Hoskins waited to declare the referendum insufficient on the day of the primaries last month. Republicans argued during hearings this week that changing the congressional lines months before an election could cause chaos.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in a social media post she will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the decision.
Republicans across the country kicked off an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting gambit in 2025, starting with Texas, that has seen 10 states enact new maps. The Supreme Court’s decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, coupled with the Virginia Supreme Court striking down Democrats’ voter-approved gerrymander there, gave Republicans an edge of up to 10 seats.
But as Americans continue to sour on President Donald Trump and Republicans, it’s unlikely the GOP will notch as many wins as they first hoped, though they still have an overall advantage from the redistricting.
November’s referendum marks an early frontier in the looming 2028 redistricting battle, as leaders in both parties have signaled their intent to press for new lines to be drawn in favorable states. Both parties have already poured millions into Missouri’s redistricting fight.
People Not Politicians, the Democratic group organizing the referendum, celebrated the court’s decision.
“This is what democracy looks like, the people of Missouri demanded a voice, and the court just confirmed what we’ve been saying all along. People, not politicians, will have the final say,” Richard von Glahn , executive director of the group, said in a statement. “This victory reaches beyond Missouri. In a year when map-drawing has become a national weapon, courts across the country are watching what happens here.”
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