Missouri Supreme Court Blocks New Congressional Districts, Calls for Statewide Vote
The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled against using new congressional districts for the upcoming November election, mandating a statewide vote on the proposed map. The decision represents a blow to Republican efforts, supported by President Donald Trump, to gain an additional seat and maintain their narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, describing the ruling as a “full-fledged constitutional crisis.” Missouri had utilized the new districts during the August primaries, but the state Supreme Court has now invalidated them for the general election, pending voter approval.
The new districts were contested when opponents submitted over 300,000 signatures to demand a public vote. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins initially dismissed the petition, arguing that the referendum process does not apply to congressional redistricting. A lower court backed Hoskins, but the Supreme Court has now overturned that decision. “The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely,” the court stated, emphasizing that the legislation “will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.”
Hanaway and Republican Governor Mike Kehoe criticized the ruling, with Hanaway noting, “Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election.”
Court Upholds Referendum Rights
The court ruled that while the Missouri Constitution does not explicitly state that a referendum can be used for congressional redistricting, a provision allowing referendums on “any act” of the Legislature does include such laws. The ruling also dismissed claims that federal law prohibits using referendum petitions for congressional maps.
“This is what democracy looks like,” said Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri. “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.”
The Supreme Court’s decision is part of a broader political battle involving redistricting in over a dozen states, with Missouri alone facing multiple lawsuits. The court’s latest ruling follows an earlier decision allowing a ballot proposal to limit politicians’ power to alter voter-enacted measures.
Impact on Missouri’s Political Landscape
Missouri’s existing congressional delegation comprises six Republicans and two Democrats. The newly proposed districts sought to reshape the 5th Congressional District, held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, by extending it to rural Republican areas. Cleaver, who was unopposed in the August primary, has historically won his district with significant margins.
Republican state Senator Rick Brattin, who won the primary for the newly configured district, expressed concerns about the ruling’s impact on voters, saying it “disenfranchises thousands of primary voters” by shifting them to different districts.
The redistricting controversy in Missouri is part of a nationwide effort to redraw congressional boundaries. This mid-decade redistricting, urged by Trump for electoral advantage, is an unusual move typically reserved for the start of each decade following census data updates.
