Federal Judge Temporarily Clears Missouri to Use GOP-Friendly Congressional Map in Midterms

A federal judge has temporarily ordered Missouri to use its newly drawn congressional map for the November midterm elections, creating a new twist in a legal battle that had appeared to suffer a setback at the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued a 14-day temporary restraining order Tuesday blocking Missouri from reverting to its older congressional districts. The decision means, for now, that election officials are required to proceed with the Republican-backed map approved by the state legislature in 2025.

Clark’s decision came shortly after Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected an emergency request from Missouri officials seeking to halt a Missouri Supreme Court ruling against the new map. Kavanaugh did not provide an explanation for denying the request.

Missouri’s Supreme Court had unanimously ruled that the new congressional districts could not take effect because opponents successfully submitted a referendum petition challenging the redistricting law. The state court concluded that the petition was legal, sufficient and timely, meaning the 2022 congressional map should remain in effect unless voters approve the new districts.

The new map was passed by Missouri’s Republican-controlled legislature and signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe. It significantly reshapes the Kansas City-area 5th Congressional District represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, extending the district into more Republican-leaning areas and potentially giving the GOP an opportunity to gain another House seat.

The dispute became more complicated because Missouri already used the new districts during its August primary elections. Supporters of keeping those districts for November argue that switching back to the old boundaries after roughly 1.2 million Missourians participated in the primaries would create confusion and force voters to choose among candidates they did not necessarily have an opportunity to nominate.

Opponents argue that Missouri voters exercised their constitutional right to challenge the new map through the referendum process. The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ruling that the legislation establishing the districts never legally took effect once a sufficient referendum petition was submitted.

The conflicting state and federal court orders have left Missouri’s congressional elections in an unusual legal situation just weeks before Election Day. Clark’s order is temporary, and opponents of the new map quickly moved to appeal his ruling to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

For the moment, Missouri officials are moving forward under the new Republican-backed districts while the litigation continues. The ultimate congressional map for November could still change depending on what happens in the federal appeals process, potentially sending the dispute back before the Supreme Court.