Missouri Supreme Court Blocks Trump-Backed Congressional Map, Ordering Public Referendum
In a major blow to Republican redistricting efforts, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled on September 3, 2026, that a newly redrawn congressional map backed by President Donald Trump cannot be used in the November 2026 midterm elections. Instead, the court ordered that a public veto referendum on whether to approve or reject the map must go on the November ballot, and that the state's 2022 congressional map remains in full force and effect for the general election.
The Republican-backed map was passed during a special legislative session last year after President Trump urged GOP-run states to redraw congressional districts to their partisan advantage1. The map aggressively reconfigured the 5th Congressional District — held by longtime Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver — by stretching it eastward into rural, heavily Republican areas to make it highly competitive or likely Republican.
In its unanimous decision, the state's highest court rejected arguments from Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway that federal law or state procedures prohibited a referendum on congressional maps. The court ruled that the new districts were effectively placed on hold in December 2025 when opponents submitted over 300,000 petition signatures to put the map to a public vote.
As reported by the Associated Press:
"The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously blocked new congressional districts backed by President Donald Trump from being used in the November election and ordered a statewide vote on whether to uphold or reject the new map... The legislation containing the new districts 'did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.'"
The decision represents a rare victory for Democrats in the nationwide battle over congressional maps and significantly boosts their chances of retaking the U.S. House of Representatives by shielding a key Democratic seat in Kansas City.
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An instance of Electoral map-making is no longer a once-a-decade battle. — The blocked Missouri map was part of a continuous, mid-cycle campaign by national political figures to redraw electoral maps. ↩︎