Trump blasts Missouri court after GOP map used in primaries is blocked for November

WASHINGTON, DC: The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday, September 3, blocked a Republican-drawn congressional map from being used in the November midterm elections, forcing the state, for now, to return to its 2022 congressional districts for the general election unless voters approve the new map in a referendum.

The decision also created uncertainty for Republican candidates who competed in August's primaries under the now-blocked districts. President Donald Trump, who backed the redistricting effort, condemned the ruling, calling it a "Dark Day for "Justice" in Missouri."

Trump-backed Missouri map targeted Democratic House seat

The new congressional map was approved by Missouri's Republican-controlled legislature after Republican Governor Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session last year. The redistricting effort was part of a broader push backed by Trump to reshape congressional districts before the 2026 elections in an effort to strengthen Republican control of the House.

In Missouri, the map specifically targeted the Kansas City-based district held by Democratic Rep Emanuel Cleaver. The new boundaries dismantled Cleaver's district and shifted large numbers of voters into a reshaped 5th Congressional District that favored Republicans.

Missouri currently has six Republicans and two Democrats in the US House. The new map was expected to give Republicans a path to a seventh seat by making Cleaver's district substantially more Republican.

The new boundaries were also used during the August 4 congressional primaries. Republican candidates competed, raised money and secured their nominations based on those districts. They will now proceed to the November election under the previous map.

Kehoe highlighted that distinction, stating that the ruling would create uncertainty for voters and candidates. “Holding a primary election under one congressional map and a general election under another is unprecedented and creates uncertainty for Missouri voters,” Kehoe wrote.

The state's Republican attorney general, Catherine Hanaway, has similarly argued that the ruling could disrupt the election. She called it an “unprecedented decision” that had created a “full-fledged constitutional crisis,” and said her office would seek relief from the US Supreme Court.

Trump also condemned the ruling, calling it “horrible, ridiculous, and unconstitutional” and stating that the ruling is disrupting "the Election Process, as usual, Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary." 

Missouri Supreme Court says referendum petition was valid and timely

However, the Missouri Supreme Court's decision stated that it did not reject the map because it favored Republicans. Instead, the justices ruled that opponents had successfully triggered a referendum under the Missouri Constitution before the new districts took effect.

The group 'People Not Politicians' submitted more than 300,000 signatures in December seeking to put the map before voters. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition, arguing that the referendum process could not be used for congressional redistricting, as Cleaver celebrated the ruling.

The state Supreme Court unanimously rejected that position, finding that the petition was legally valid and had been submitted on time. “The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,” Judge Ginger Gooch wrote.

The court ruled that the legislation containing the new congressional districts “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.”