Missouri Supreme Court blocks Trump-backed congressional map ahead of midterms
A unanimous ruling restores previous districts for November’s elections, overturning a partisan redistricting effort and setting up an immediate appeal to the US Supreme Court.
The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously blocked a congressional map backed by US President Donald Trump, restoring the state’s previous districts ahead of the November midterm elections. The ruling, issued on Thursday, represents a significant judicial intervention in the national debate over redistricting, finding that a referendum petition signed by nearly 300,000 residents was legal and sufficient to halt the implementation of the new boundaries.
The contested map was signed into law in September 2025, with the explicit aim of helping Republicans secure an additional seat in the US House of Representatives. This mid-decade redrawing of districts was part of a broader strategy encouraged by President Trump to maintain Republican control of the House, a move that saw approximately 10 states alter their maps, most in favour of the party. In Missouri, the changes significantly reshaped the 5th congressional district, currently held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, to favour Republican candidates.
The legal challenge stemmed from a popular backlash to the partisan redistricting effort. The group People Not Politicians spearheaded a petition campaign to put the new map to a direct vote by the electorate. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins had previously rejected the petition as legally insufficient, a decision that triggered the court case. The Supreme Court overturned Hoskins’ conclusion, stating that the Missouri Constitution makes such petitions legal and that no exception applied to this instance.
Despite the court being staffed by seven judges, five of whom are Republican-appointed, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from the administration. President Trump denounced the ruling on social media, describing it as “horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional.” He argued that the court had ruled in favour of reverting to “Ancient History” maps. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, pledged to immediately appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court, labelling the situation a “full-fledged constitutional crisis.”
The ruling places Missouri in a complicated administrative position with only two months remaining until the midterm elections. Outstanding legal questions remain regarding whether a state’s general election can utilise different congressional districts than those used in its primaries, particularly given that the 2025 map had already been used for the state’s primary elections. Ballots are set to be printed soon, adding urgency to the legal battle.
The outcome of the appeal is likely to be most pivotal for Missouri’s 5th congressional district, which encompasses parts of Kansas City. Until the legal dispute is resolved or voters approve the map, the 2025 boundaries will not be used for the upcoming election. The People Not Politicians group applauded the decision, blaming Secretary of State Hoskins for the resulting confusion, while supporters rallied outside the court demanding the right to vote on the “rigged” map.
