Democrats have been trying to reverse a series of mid-decade congressional redistricting efforts in several red states that took place over the past year ahead of the November midterms.
And in the vast majority of those instances, they’ve come up short.
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Democrats suffered another legal setback in Missouri this week after a judge in Cole County, where the capital Jefferson City is located, ruled in favor of Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins.
Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled that Missouri’s referendum process cannot be used to challenge congressional maps approved by the Legislature.
The decision allows a new Republican-backed congressional map to remain in effect for November’s midterm elections, potentially strengthening the GOP’s position in the battle for control of the U.S. House.
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Green ruled that Missouri’s constitutional referendum provisions “do not apply to congressional redistricting enacted by the General Assembly,” siding with Hoskins in the closely watched legal battle over the Trump-backed map.
Green also determined that Hoskins acted lawfully when he declined to certify the referendum petition seeking to challenge the new congressional boundaries.
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The judge ordered that the Republican-backed map “remains in full force and effect for the 2026 general election,” clearing a major legal obstacle to its use in November.
Richard von Glahn, the plaintiff challenging the map, filed an appeal Wednesday evening, according to the court docket, ensuring that the legal battle over Missouri’s congressional boundaries will continue.
The ruling leaves in place a map approved by Missouri’s Republican-controlled Legislature after Trump encouraged GOP-led states to consider redrawing congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The new boundaries could give Republicans an opportunity to capture the Kansas City-area seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
Missouri’s eight-member congressional delegation currently consists of six Republicans and two Democrats.
Under the revised map, portions of Kansas City are divided among neighboring Republican-held districts, while the remainder of Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District extends farther east into more heavily Republican rural areas.
An Associated Press analysis estimated that approximately 59% of voters in the newly configured district were not previously part of Cleaver’s district.
Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin secured the GOP nomination in the newly configured district earlier this month, while Cleaver faced no opposition for the Democratic nomination.
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The new congressional boundaries were already used during Missouri’s August primary elections.
Opponents of the redistricting plan collected thousands of signatures in an effort to force a statewide referendum on the map.
Hoskins rejected the petition, however, arguing that the Missouri Constitution does not permit voters to challenge congressional redistricting through the referendum process.
Green agreed with Hoskins’ interpretation, entering judgment in favor of the secretary of state and the Republican organizations that intervened in the case.
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Those groups included the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and Missouri Republican State Committee, all of which defended the new congressional map against the legal challenge.
Missouri’s legal fight is part of a wider redistricting battle unfolding across the country ahead of November’s midterm elections, with control of the narrowly divided House potentially at stake.
Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called Missouri lawmakers into a special legislative session last year to consider new congressional boundaries after Trump encouraged Republican-controlled states to pursue redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.
The effort ultimately produced the new map that reshaped several districts and created a potentially more favorable electoral landscape for Republicans.
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Missouri became the second Republican-led state, following Texas, to pursue new congressional boundaries as part of the broader redistricting effort ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Green’s ruling keeps the Trump-backed Missouri map in effect for now, even as opponents continue their legal challenge in the state appeals court.
Unless the decision is overturned on appeal, the new congressional boundaries will remain in place for November’s general election.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
