Missouri Secretary of State Blocks Democratic Referendum on Gerrymandered Congressional Map
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Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has unilaterally rejected a citizen-led petition for a statewide referendum on the state's new, Republican-favoring congressional map, dismissing the effort as unconstitutional. The grassroots group behind the petition is preparing a legal challenge to defend democratic participation.
In a move emblematic of the ongoing assault on democratic rights, Missouri’s Secretary of State, Denny Hoskins, announced Tuesday that he would not allow a citizen petition for a statewide referendum on the recently approved, gerrymandered congressional map to appear on the ballot. Hoskins, echoing the anti-democratic tactics favored by right-wing politicians, claimed the petition was void under Missouri law, which he says prohibits voter referendums on congressional redistricting, calling any such challenge unconstitutional.
The advocacy group People Not Politicians Missouri, representing the will of over 300,000 Missourians—nearly triple the required signatures—submitted the petition. Yet, their voices were summarily dismissed. Richard von Glahn, executive director of the group, condemned the move: “Secretary of State Hoskins is making a last desperate attempt to silence the people’s voice in Missouri.”
The new map, cynically timed to take effect for Tuesday’s primaries, distorts representation by reshaping the Kansas City-based 5th Congressional District to include rural, conservative areas, further entrenching Republican power. Already, Republicans control six of the state’s eight House seats and are poised to seize even more under these manipulated boundaries.
Hoskins previously sought to suppress the petition in federal court, arguing that both the U.S. and Missouri constitutions bar referendums on congressional redistricting. The judge, however, dismissed the suit as premature, noting Hoskins could simply reject the petition himself, which he did at the last possible moment allowed by law—ensuring the new, undemocratic districts would be used in the primaries.
If the courts later force the referendum onto the ballot, officials have failed to clarify how it would impact the 2026 elections or the current primary results. Missouri’s mid-decade redistricting has already sparked a wave of litigation, with about a dozen lawsuits challenging the plan’s legitimacy.
This anti-democratic maneuver is part of a broader, Trump-inspired national campaign for Republican-led states to redraw congressional lines and entrench minority rule ahead of the 2024 elections. Republicans hope to snatch up to 16 more House seats through these power grabs, while Democrats are left fighting for scraps in a system rigged against fair representation.