Rulings conflict on new map in Missouri

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Missouri's request to use a new congressional map favoring Republicans without voter approval, upholding a state court decision that requires the map to be approved in a November referendum. This ruling intensifies ongoing legal disputes and complicates election preparations as conflicting federal and state court orders challenge the map's implementation before the midterms.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on September 8 to allow Missouri to use a newly drawn congressional map that would have increased Republican representation in the state’s delegation for the upcoming midterm elections. The decision upheld a Missouri Supreme Court ruling requiring any such map to be approved by voters in a November referendum before it can take effect.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who handles emergency appeals from Missouri, denied a request from state officials and the Republican Party to intervene. This followed a unanimous Missouri Supreme Court ruling that the proposed map’s approval through a ballot measure is constitutionally required. The state high court found the petition to place the measure before voters was valid and timely, and faulted Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for delaying his decision on the matter for eight months.

The controversial redistricting plan, approved by the Missouri Legislature last year, would have transformed a Democratic-held district in Kansas City into one more favorable to Republicans, thereby creating a 7-to-1 GOP advantage in Missouri’s eight House districts. A group called People Not Politicians Missouri successfully gathered sufficient signatures to force the issue onto the ballot, but Hoskins argued ballot measures cannot be used for congressional redistricting under the state constitution. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected that interpretation, allowing the referendum question to proceed.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the legal battle continued when U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary order the same day requiring the state to use the disputed redrawn map in the upcoming election. This federal ruling conflicted with the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision and reignited the dispute over the map’s implementation.

Marc Elias, an attorney representing the group opposing the map, said his legal team would work swiftly to counter the federal judge’s order. Meanwhile, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway warned the state faces significant logistical challenges in switching to a different congressional map at this late stage, possibly jeopardizing the timely administration of the federal election. Under federal law, absentee ballots for military and overseas voters must be sent by September 19, and the state’s primary elections held on August 4 were conducted using the new map.

Opponents of the redistricting plan accused Secretary of State Hoskins of deliberately causing delays to limit the chances of the referendum appearing on the ballot, a claim he disputes. Lawyers for People Not Politicians Missouri described the state’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court as an attempt to seek a “political victory” not supported by the Missouri Constitution.

This case is part of a broader national confrontation over redistricting, with multiple disputes reaching the U.S. Supreme Court in the past year. The court has recently issued rulings favoring Republicans in states such as Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Virginia, and New York, while siding with Democrats in a challenge involving California’s congressional map. The Missouri case illustrates ongoing tensions over partisan control of congressional districts ahead of the midterm elections.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.