The Supreme Court unanimously rejected Missouri’s bid for a third time this month to use its 2025 map, leaving the 2022 map in place for the 2026 election. The map favors Republicans in six of eight districts; the new one would have given them a 7-1 edge.
The justices said switching maps this late in the election would cause “electoral chaos” and that state law requires the 2022 map. Challengers said ballots had been printed and mailed and absentee voting had begun; Republican state attorneys argued the 2025 districts should remain because the primaries were held under them.
Missouri lawmakers adopted the 2025 map last September, aiming to gain a Republican seat by breaking up the Kansas City district that elected Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. People Not Politicians gathered more than 300,000 signatures for a referendum. On Sept. 3, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution permits the referendum and the new map cannot take effect until voters decide.
