<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the implementation of a new congressional map drawn by Republicans, stating that voters must first decide whether to approve the new district lines. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The unanimous decision means Missouri will revert to its previous congressional map, established after the 2020 census, for the 2026 midterm elections. A referendum asking voters to approve the Republican-backed replacement will be included on the November ballot. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The court's ruling reversed decisions made by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and a lower court that aimed to keep the referendum off the ballot and allow elections to proceed under the new boundaries.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Currently, Republicans hold six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats, and the new lines were designed to potentially give the party an advantage in a seventh seat. The most significant change targeted Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) Kansas City-based 5th Congressional District by incorporating more GOP-leaning areas.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The legal dispute originated from a congressional map approved by Missouri lawmakers last year, which was part of a broader initiative by President Donald Trump to encourage GOP-controlled states to redraw their maps ahead of the midterm elections. This initiative faced opposition from Democrats and voting rights groups.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The group People Not Politicians collected over 300,000 signatures to initiate a veto referendum on the map. Under Missouri law, voters can challenge enacted legislation through a referendum if sufficient signatures are gathered and a majority vote is achieved in a statewide election. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hoskins rejected the referendum petition, leading to a legal challenge regarding whether the signatures should have halted the implementation of the congressional map. Despite the rejections, Missouri used the GOP-backed map in its primary elections.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Following the court's decision, Trump expressed his disapproval on Truth Social, describing the ruling as “horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional.” </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump stated, “The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago. It’s called, Ancient History! The problem is, according to Legal Scholars, that not only was the ruling horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional, but there won’t be enough time to change the map back with the Election coming up in a very short period of time. The Election Process, as usual, is being disturbed in America! Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The decision presents a unique scenario for congressional candidates, as Missouri held its primaries using the Republican-drawn maps. Six of the state’s eight districts were altered under this plan, but candidates will now compete in November under the previous boundaries.</p>