Missouri Supreme Court Validates Referendum Petition Amid Ongoing Gerrymandering Lawsuits
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Missouri's top court upheld a voter petition to use the 2022 congressional map, while lawsuits continue over a new GOP-drawn map and a claim for damages against the secretary of state.
Missouri's Supreme Court ruled that a voter-initiated referendum petition to retain the 2022 congressional map for the November election was legally valid, overturning the state secretary of state’s earlier rejection of the petition. The court also found Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt for failing to follow the ruling, prompting him to issue new guidance directing local officials to use the older map.
The decision follows a series of legal challenges sparked by a 2025 congressional map drawn by the Republican-controlled legislature, which critics say favors GOP candidates. A separate lawsuit filed by five voters alleges Hoskins violated state law by refusing to certify the petition and seeks statutory damages that could total up to $80 million.
Law professor Charles Rhodes noted that the outcome may hinge on how courts define an “aggrieved” person under Missouri’s Constitution, which allows individuals to recover a modest sum for official neglect. He said the claim could be stronger if limited to voters whose districts changed between the two maps.
The dispute remains unresolved as a competing case brought by Rep. Robert Onder, who supports the new map, is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. A decision there could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
If the 2025 map is used, it would split Kansas City into three districts along racial lines and could unseat Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, the state’s only Black House member. Cleaver warned that the situation “tells voters there are people who will do just about anything to win.”