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Missouri Supreme Court blocks new congressional map and orders November voter referendum

The unanimous ruling forces Missouri to use its previous district lines for the 2026 general election while voters decide on the Republican-drawn map.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 23:18 UTC5 reports

The short version

  • The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a newly redrawn congressional map cannot be used for the November 2026 general election.
  • The decision restores the state's prior map adopted after the 2020 census and places the newly enacted lines on the ballot as a voter referendum.
  • The ruling protects Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City seat from being split into a GOP-leaning district for the upcoming midterms.
  • Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway stated she plans to appeal the state Supreme Court's ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Key facts

  • The Missouri Supreme Court issued a 7-0 decision finding that a citizen referendum petition on House Bill 1 was legal, sufficient, and timely, overturning Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' rejection of the petition.[Politico · CBS News · NBC News]
  • Because the new map cannot take effect unless approved by voters in November, the congressional map enacted after the 2020 census will remain in place for the November 2026 general election.[Associated Press · Politico · The Guardian]
  • The suspended map was drawn during a special legislative session after encouragement from Donald Trump and was designed to turn Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver's 5th Congressional District into a Republican-leaning seat.[Associated Press · CBS News · NBC News]
  • The citizen group People Not Politicians submitted more than 300,000 signatures in December seeking the veto referendum, which Hoskins rejected on August primary election day.[Politico · CBS News · NBC News]
  • Missouri used the newly redrawn boundaries during its August primary elections, where Republican state Senator Rick Brattin won the primary for the revised 5th District and Cleaver was unopposed in the Democratic primary.[Associated Press · Politico · CBS News]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether the U.S. Supreme Court will agree to hear an appeal by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway or issue an emergency stay before the November election.[Politico · CBS News]
  • How election administrators will handle general election logistics following August primaries conducted under district lines different from those now in effect.[Politico · CBS News · NBC News]

Sources