On Thursday, the Missouri Supreme Court decided that the state’s newly drawn congressional map can’t be used in this year’s midterm elections, which is a setback for Republicans.
The court stated that a referendum must be included on the November ballot to determine if the state can use this map going forward, meaning Missouri’s fall elections will follow the previous district lines.
The new map was created with the intention of removing one of Missouri’s two Democratic Congress members, longtime Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, from his position.
“More than 305,000 Missourians demanded a say in who will represent them in the halls of Congress. Despite the cynical and deeply shameful attempt to silence many of our neighbors, the people fought back and won,” Cleaver said in a post on X after the ruling, adding that “democracy prevails.”
This ruling follows an extended battle involving advocacy group People Not Politicians Missouri, which aimed to stop the Republican redistricting plan, against state GOP leaders who supported it.
In 2025, Missouri redrew its congressional map at President Donald Trump’s request. In response, People Not Politicians Missouri gathered over 300,000 signatures to push for a veto referendum. Even though they surpassed signature requirements for getting on the ballot, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins refused to certify it, claiming it was unconstitutional. The group took their case to the state Supreme Court, which heard arguments on Wednesday.
The ruling comes just days ahead of the state’s Sept. 8 deadline to finalize its ballot for the general election. The state held its August primary using the Republican-drawn map.
Judge Ginger K. Gooch stated in her ruling that Hoskins and others working with him “are restrained and enjoined from implementing, using, or mandating the use of the congressional redistricting in HB 1 for the November 2026 general election or at any other time thereafter unless and until HB 1 is approved by the voters at the November 2026 general election and takes effect 30 days thereafter.”
As a result of this decision, Cleaver will now be running for re-election in his old seat that heavily favors Democrats. He won by nearly 24 percentage points in 2024.
The revised 5th District that was invalidated by Thursday’s ruling was set up so Trump would have won by more than 17 points in 2024.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway promised in a statement after this ruling to appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court.
“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,” Hanaway wrote. “We are confident that federal courts won’t allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised-which is what today’s decision does.”
People Not Politicians executive director Richard von Glahn celebrated this victory.
“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. A Missouri win for the referendum is a signal that people still hold power,” von Glahn said in his statement.
Missouri stands among several Republican-led states that undertook mid-decade redistricting efforts at Trump’s urging to secure their slim House majority.
Trump criticized this ruling on Truth Social as “horrible, ridiculous, and un Constitutional.”
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“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 ,” Trump WROTE.
Last time voters considered one of these maps was back IN Nineteen Twenty-Two , AFTER THE REPUBLICAN -LED STATE LEGISLATURE REDREW THE DISTRICTS. VOTERS AT THE TIME REJECTED THE NEW MAP.
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