Supreme Court Again Rejects Missouri Congressional Map Backed by Republicans

The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 25 ruled against Republicans seeking to use Missouri’s 2025 congressional map in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the same map lines that were used in the Aug. 4 primaries.

The nation’s highest court allowed a 2022 map, which gave Republicans a 6–2 edge over Democrats, to take effect. The 2025 map gave Republicans a 7–1 advantage.

In recent weeks, the nation’s highest court issued two rulings against the 2025 map.

On Sept. 3, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state must use the 2022 map for the November elections. County clerks have already begun sending military and overseas ballots under the 2022 map.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reinstated the 2025 map on Sept. 21, ruling that using a different congressional district map in the November general elections than the one used in the August primary elections would violate the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark had issued a temporary restraining order barring Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins from using any congressional map other than the one the Legislature approved in 2025. On Sept. 21, a three-judge Eighth Circuit panel affirmed Clark, ordering him to enter a permanent injunction blocking Hoskins from using any congressional map other than the 2025 map.

The panel administratively stayed that injunction until 5 p.m. Central Time on Sept. 28 to give the other side the opportunity to seek U.S. Supreme Court review. At that time, a Sept. 10 U.S. Supreme Court stay still blocked Clark’s original temporary restraining order.

Advocacy group People Not Politicians, which opposes the 2025 map and wants a referendum on it, submitted an emergency motion to the U.S. Supreme Court late on Sept. 22.

The group asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the Eighth Circuit ruling, arguing that its Sept. 10 stay “precludes enforcement of the replacement injunction—or any additional federal court injunctions contrary to the stay order—so long as that stay remains in effect.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Sept. 22 ordered supporters of the 2025 map to file a reply brief by 2 p.m. the next day.

This is a developing story and will be updated.