A federal appeals panel on Sept. 21 sided with Republicans seeking to use Missouri’s 2025 congressional map in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the same lines that were used in the Aug. 4 primaries.
The ruling does not necessarily mean the 2025 map, which gives Republicans a 7–1 advantage over Democrats, will appear on the ballot.
A Sept. 10 U.S. Supreme Court stay still blocks a federal district judge’s order requiring those lines, so the 2022 map, which gives Republicans a 6–2 edge, remains in effect unless the justices lift the stay or the new ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is allowed to take effect. County clerks have already begun sending military and overseas ballots under the 2022 map.
The three-judge panel of the St. Louis-based Eighth Circuit heard from attorneys on Sept. 17.
The judges and attorneys struggled to interpret the brief U.S. Supreme Court ruling that had the effect of keeping the 2022 map in place, but provided no helpful guidance to lower courts because no reasoning was provided.
U.S. Circuit Judge James Loken said that to him the ruling implied a sense of urgency.
“It’s on our plate and I think the Supreme Court has said ‘get to it,’” he said during the hearing.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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