Missouri Judge Clears Trump-Backed House Map for November Midterms

A Missouri judge cleared the way Wednesday for the new U.S. House districts backed by President Donald Trump to be used in the November midterm elections.

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green threw out an effort to force a statewide referendum on the Republican-drawn map.

The decision represents a win for Republicans as they try to keep their slim majority in the House.

The districts already appeared on August primary ballots, as Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins turned away a petition carrying thousands of signatures. The petition sought a November vote on the boundaries. Hoskins said the state constitution does not permit a referendum on congressional redistricting.

Green agreed with this interpretation.

“The Missouri Constitution does not supply any statement — let alone a clear one — reallocating authority over congressional redistricting away from the General Assembly to a referendum process,” the judge wrote.

Missouri’s mid-decade redraw stands among the most heavily litigated in the country. Roughly a dozen lawsuits have landed in various courts over the past year.

The fight began last year, when Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session. Trump had called on GOP-led states to reshape districts ahead of the midterms.

The new lines are likely to impact Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City. Portions of the city shift into two neighboring districts held by Republicans, while Cleaver’s 5th District stretches far east into rural, heavily Republican territory. 

Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight House seats. The revised map aims to flip one more seat toward the GOP and away from Democrats.

Opponents had gathered the signatures in hopes of putting the plan before voters. Hoskins’s rejection and Green’s ruling leave the map in place for now. Candidates who advanced through the August primaries will face off along those lines in November, unless a higher court decides otherwise. The group behind the referendum petition vowed to continue the fight in higher courts.

Several states redrew maps mid-decade after Trump pressed for changes that could protect the House majority.

Missouri’s effort followed Texas and preceded moves in other Republican-led states. Democratic-led states responded with plans of their own in states they control. 

Green issued the decision hours after hearing arguments, with Hoskins and Republican intervenors defending the map.

Missouri’s current House map dates back to the post-2020 census redraw. The mid-decade revision marks a rare departure from the usual once-a-decade schedule. Courts have already upheld the Legislature’s authority to act between censuses in earlier challenges. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report