Missouri judge upholds new congressional map for November elections
A Cole County circuit judge ruled that Missouri's recently redrawn U.S. House districts, supported by Republican leaders, will remain in place for the November vote, rejecting a petition for a statewide referendum.
Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Wednesday that Missouri's newly drawn U.S. House districts will be used in the November elections, rejecting a petition that sought a statewide referendum on the map. The decision affirms the use of the districts that were already applied in the August primaries.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins had earlier dismissed a petition with thousands of signatures, arguing that the state constitution does not permit a referendum on congressional redistricting. Green’s opinion echoed that view, stating that the constitution provides no authority to shift redistricting power from the General Assembly to a voter referendum.
Opponents of the map, led by People Not Politicians, announced plans to appeal the ruling. > "Everyone knows that Cole County is not the final decision here," said Richard von Glahn, executive director of the group, adding that the case will move to the Missouri Supreme Court.
The revised map, drawn after a special legislative session called by Governor Mike Kehoe, reconfigures the district represented by Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, moving portions of Kansas City into neighboring Republican-held districts and extending the remainder of the 5th District into rural areas that lean Republican. About 59% of voters in the 5th District are new, according to an AP estimate.
Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office, representing the secretary of state, argued that redistricting is a legislative function not subject to a referendum without explicit constitutional authorization and that changing district lines after the primary would violate federal law and cause voter confusion. The judge agreed, noting that a post-primary change would breach federal statutes.
The case is expected to proceed to the state Supreme Court, where the broader question of whether Missouri’s constitution allows a referendum on congressional maps will be addressed.