Missouri Governor Signs Controversial GOP-Favored Congressional Map Amid Legal Challenges

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe delivers the State of the State address in Jefferson City, Missouri, on Jan. 28. Jeff Roberson/AP

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a new U.S. House district map as part of a plan supported by Donald Trump that aims to strengthen Republicans’ edge in the upcoming congressional elections.

The signing into law enshrines changes in the state’s legislation designed to win another seat for the party. But the situation is far from over: opponents are collecting petitions for a referendum, which, if successful, would lead to a statewide vote on the new map. Several lawsuits have also been filed.

The redistricting of the House districts was carried out after the 2020 census to reflect changes in population. Missouri became the third state this year to try to redraw its districts to favor one political party – a process known as gerrymandering.

In Texas, Republicans last month approved a new map supporting five additional seats, while Democratic lawmakers in California proposed a similar plan, also aiming to win five seats, but its final adoption depends on a vote by the voters. Other states are also considering similar redistribution steps in the redistricting sphere.

Each seat matters, as Democrats need only three seats to gain control of the House – a move that would enable them to check Trump’s agenda and initiatives.

Missouri Redistricting and the Challenges Ahead

The Republicans currently control six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats. The new map reduces Kansas City’s share of the district that was previously led by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, while expanding the footprint in predominantly Republican rural areas. It also reduces the share of African Americans and other minorities in Cleaver’s district, which he has held for more than two decades since becoming Kansas City’s first Black mayor.

Cleaver criticized the redistricting plan, notably highlighting the use of Troost Avenue in Kansas City as one of the boundaries for the new districts.

Kehoe defends the new map as a step toward strengthening “conservative, healthy values” in the state capital.

Opponents are mobilizing signatures to demand a referendum on the map. By December 11, they must collect about 110,000 valid signatures, which would suspend the map’s effect until the vote, which could take place next year.

Separately filed are lawsuits. A voters’ lawsuit argues that mid-term redistricting is not provided for by the state constitution. The NAACP suit points to the absence of an “extraordinary circumstance” for summoning legislators to a redistricting session. The ACLU suit also argues that the new districts in the Kansas City area violate constitutional requirements for compactness and equal population. It is also noted that the bill names the electoral district “KC 811” within the 4th and 5th congressional districts, which, the plaintiffs say, could be grounds to overturn the map.

Kehoe’s office denies errors, asserting that the location names had already been designated earlier for two different electoral districts. The administration also emphasizes that the process has already gone through the proper procedures, and the map is intended to ensure stable governance in the state.

Given the current circumstances, Missouri faces a series of challenges – from public debate about the fairness of the distribution to legal battles over the constitutionality of the new districts. If a referendum or court rulings raise questions about the legality of the redistricting, it could affect the political balance in the future Congress and the Republicans’ influence in Missouri’s capital region.

Yet for map supporters the main message remains unchanged: the changes are designed to strengthen conservative values in Missouri and secure a stable majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.