Supreme Court Denies Missouri's Request for Additional GOP-leaning Congressional District

The Supreme Court has rejected Missouri's request for a third time to implement a Republican-leaning congressional district. The justices upheld a state court order mandating the use of a 2022 election map, which favors Republicans in six out of eight districts. The court stated, "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos." The GOP, supported by conservative federal judges, sought to utilize a 2025 election map that would have redrawn a Kansas City district previously held by a Black Democrat, potentially giving Republicans a 7-1 advantage. However, the Supreme Court's ruling prevents this change. The justices emphasized that the 2022 map must be used in the upcoming 2026 congressional election, citing state law. They noted, "This Court has repeatedly cautioned that lower federal courts should not alter the election rules of a state on the eve of an election." Both sides in the dispute accused each other of attempting to change voting districts at a critical time. Opponents of the GOP-friendly map argued that it was too late to switch districts since ballots had already been distributed based on the existing map. They stated that Republicans were demanding a new map after ballots had been printed and absentee voting had begun. Conversely, Republican attorneys contended that primary elections had occurred under the 2025 map, justifying its use for the general election in November. Last September, the Missouri General Assembly voted to redraw its eight congressional districts, aiming to gain an additional Republican seat. The new map was designed to alter the Kansas City district that elected Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Black Democrat. A group named People Not Politicians, led by Richard von Glahn, collected over 300,000 signatures to challenge the new law through a referendum. However, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins denied the referendum in early August. Von Glahn's group subsequently sued and won a unanimous decision from the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled that the state Constitution allowed for such a referendum. Hoskins then filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, citing potential chaos from the state court's decision. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh denied the appeal without comment. The Supreme Court's ruling was a significant moment in a legal battle that has lasted nearly a year and created confusion among voters. Following the Supreme Court's decision, U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the use of any voting map other than the new one. People Not Politicians appealed this decision, and on September 10, the Supreme Court blocked the judge's order from taking effect. The justices did not provide reasoning, but their order indicated that the new map could not be used for the current election. Despite this, the 8th Circuit Court ruled that the state must utilize the new map, siding with several Republican candidates. This ruling was unexpected, given the Supreme Court's prior order barring further judicial intervention in the voting map dispute. Ultimately, the justices reaffirmed that the 2022 map must be used.