Missouri's gerrymandered congressional map could be put on hold in Tuesday hearing

Jack Harvel, The Kansas City Star on Aug 14, 2026

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Cole County Circuit Court will decide on Tuesday whether voters get to approve or deny Missouri’s new gerrymandered congressional map, after Secretary of State Denny Hoskins deemed it unconstitutional last week.

On Wednesday, Judge Daniel Richard Green scheduled the Aug. 12 hearing, and both parties agreed to an expedited process. The case, which is likely to be appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court, must be resolved by Sept. 8, the last day courts are able to make changes to ballots under Missouri law.

At question is whether legislative redistricting is subject to referendums.

Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice W. Brent Powell sent a letter to Green asking that the case be decided as quickly as possible.

“Following any entry of judgment in this matter, it must be assumed one or more parties will exercise their right to appeal. Accordingly, the matter must be handled expeditiously to ensure sufficient time for expedited appellate review to be completed,” Powell wrote.

Referendum rejected

Hoskins rejected the referendum campaign, called People Not Politicians, saying the proposal was unconstitutional. If certified for the ballot, it would reinstate the map used in 2022 and 2024 until voters either approve or reject the new congressional map in November.

That could cascade into more legal battles as the state reckons with the primary results in congressional districts that could no longer be in effect. Six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts have different boundaries than the map used in the past two congressional elections.

Hoskins didn’t say the proposal failed to gain enough signatures when he rejected it, and preliminary counts on the Secretary of State’s website indicate it received more than enough support to make it on the ballot.

The Missouri Constitution doesn’t allow referendums on bills establishing state budgets, or laws “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety.”

People Not Politicians is arguing that the campaign doesn’t fall under the scope of laws barred from referendum, and should therefore be certified for the ballot. In May, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that if the campaign is found to be legally sufficient, then the map would be retroactively suspended or blocked until Missourians have a chance to vote on it.

Republicans ahead in redistricting push

The decision would have dramatic consequences for the November ballot, and could sway the balance of power in the U.S. House. Missouri Republicans heeded President Donald Trump’s unprecedented call to redistrict states in the middle of the decade to maintain Republican majorities in the House.

Missouri Republicans reconfigured the state’s map to oust longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

Republicans could gain up to 16 seats from the national redistricting fight. Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama all tweaked their maps for partisan advantage.

Meanwhile, Democrats could pick up six seats from a redistricting effort in California, and a court-ordered redistricting in Utah.

The same court will also consider Hoskins’ rejection of Respect Missouri Voters, a proposal that would make it more difficult for lawmakers to roll back laws or constitutional amendments passed via direct democracy.