The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the state’s redrawn congressional map cannot be used in the 2026 midterm elections.
According to NBC News, the court ruled that a referendum on whether the new map can be used going forward must be included on November’s ballot.
Therefore, the state must use its previous congressional districts in the general election.
Missouri’s new congressional map would have likely given Republicans an extra U.S. House seat.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) was expected to lose his seat under the new map.
“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.
“This reaffirms that the people should choose their politicians, not the other way around. Democracy prevails,” he added.
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.
This reaffirms that the people should choose their politicians,… https://t.co/9Edq5nks5X— Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (@repcleaver) September 3, 2026
NBC News shared further:
The ruling comes after a protracted battle between advocacy group People Not Politicians Missouri, which sought to block the Republican redistricting effort, and the state GOP leaders who defended it.
Missouri redrew its congressional map in 2025 at the behest of President Donald Trump. In response, People Not Politicians Missouri gathered more than 300,000 signatures to force a veto referendum. And while the group exceeded the signature requirements for getting on the ballot, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins refused to certify it, saying that it was unconstitutional. The group appealed to the state Supreme Court, which heard arguments on the matter on Wednesday.
The ruling comes just days before the state’s Sept. 8 deadline to finalize its ballot for the general election. The state ran its August primary election using the Republican-drawn map.
Judge Ginger K. Gooch wrote in her ruling that Hoskins and those acting 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.”
The court’s decision means Cleaver will now be seeking re-election for his old seat, which skews heavily Democratic. He won by almost 24 percentage points in 2024.
“The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago. It’s called, Ancient History! 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,” President Trump commented.
“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!” he added.
Full post below:
More from the Missouri Independent:
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, reacting to the ruling, said in a news release she would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Our office will move immediately to seek relief from (the United States Supreme Court),” Hanaway said.. “We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised — which is what today’s decision does.”
Speaking to reporters after the ruling, attorney Chuck Hatfield, who argued the case for People Not Politicians, the political action committee behind the redistricting referendum campaign, said he sees little in the decision that would be grounds for the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case.
“I think that that is a fool’s errand, given the strength of this opinion, particularly the notes that (the redistricting plan passed in 2025) is not and has never been the law,” Hatfield said.
In her decision, Gooch addresses the federal issue that will be the basis of the appeal — that the federal Constitution’s delegation of power to legislatures for congressional redistricting prohibits the referendum.
“A mere three years ago, the (U.S.) Supreme Court reaffirmed (a 1916 decision) and again rejected the argument the Elections Clause prohibits a state referendum as to legislation drawing new congressional districts,” Gooch wrote.
What are your thoughts?
