Missouri GOP presses ahead with congressional map fight despite long legal odds
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Missouri Republicans are continuing their legal fight to revive a congressional map approved in 2025, even as legal experts say the chances of using it in the November election appear slim.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday over whether Missouri can use different congressional districts in the general election than it used during the Aug. 4 primary.
Republicans say changing maps between the primary and general election would create legal and constitutional problems. But the case faces major hurdles.
The U.S. Supreme Court has already blocked enforcement of the 2025 map while litigation continues. The Missouri Supreme Court also ruled the map never legally took effect because a successful referendum petition suspended it.
Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff told the Missouri Independent that he sees virtually no legal path for the map to be used this November. Gov. Mike Kehoe has said he remains confident in the legal process.
For now, Missouri election officials are preparing to conduct the Nov. 3 election using the congressional districts that were in place for the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Voters will also decide the future of the 2025 map when it appears on the November ballot as Proposition A.
