National Republican groups support Missouri's congressional map fight in U.S. Supreme Court
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Missouri’s congressional redistricting fight is taking on greater national significance as Republican organizations join the state’s emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, with election deadlines rapidly approaching.
The Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and Missouri Republican State Committee have filed a brief supporting Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ request to allow Missouri to use its 2025 congressional map in the general election.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh has ordered opponents of the map to respond by noon Eastern time Monday.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway took the case to the nation’s highest court Friday after the Missouri Supreme Court rejected a request to pause its unanimous ruling blocking use of the 2025 districts.
The state Supreme Court ruled that a referendum petition challenging the new map was legal, sufficient and timely. The ruling effectively suspended the map while Missouri voters decide in November whether to approve or reject it.
The court ordered congressional races in November to instead use the districts drawn after the 2020 census and used in the 2024 election.
That creates an unusual situation because Missouri already held its Aug. 4 primary using the 2025 districts. Hanaway’s office argues changing congressional boundaries between the primary and general election could create serious election problems.
The federal appeal is now focused on which map will govern the November congressional election, rather than stopping the referendum itself.
Missouri is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the 2025 boundaries to remain in place for November while voters separately decide the map’s future.
Missouri law sets Tuesday as the deadline for changes to the November ballot. Federal law also requires ballots to be sent to military and overseas voters later this month.
The 2025 map was approved by Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature as part of a broader mid-decade redistricting push backed by President Trump.
It significantly reshaped the Kansas City-area 5th Congressional District represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver and was drawn to improve Republican chances of gaining a seventh Missouri seat in the U.S. House.
