Missouri Supreme Court: Voters will decide whether to adopt new congressional maps in November election

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — In a ruling Thursday afternoon, the Missouri Supreme Court determined that voters will decide whether to adopt U.S. congressional districts drawn in 2025 and used in August’s primary.

The state will revert to congressional maps drawn in 2022 for November’s election.

State legislators passed a new congressional map during a special session in September 2025 as part of a nationwide push from the Trump administration to help Republicans retain seats in Washington, D.C.

The new map significantly changes Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, which Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat, has held since winning election in 2004.

Instead of mostly representing the Kansas City metro, the 5th District now stretches from Kansas City to Jefferson City, accounting for more Republican voters.

State legislatures usually redraw congressional boundaries after receiving new Census data at the end of each decade. A mid-decade redistricting effort is rare.

After the legislature passed the new map, the group People Not Politicians began gathering signatures for a referendum campaign.

Its goal was to freeze the 2022 map in place until Missouri can hold a statewide vote asking voters whether they want to begin using the 2025 map.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins denied the referendum, arguing the state’s constitution does not give citizens the right to challenge redistricting via the referendum process.

After arguments Wednesday morning, the state Supreme Court issued its unanimous decision on Thursday, siding with Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, over Hoskins.

"This is what democracy looks like, the people of Missouri demanded a voice, and the court just confirmed what we’ve been saying all along. People, not politicians, will have the final say,” von Glahn said in a statement. “This victory reaches beyond Missouri. In a year when map-drawing has become a national weapon, courts across the country are watching what happens here. A Missouri win for the referendum is a signal that the people still hold the power.”

Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas also cheered the announcement.

“Today is a good day for the rule of law, for fairness to all Missourians, and a voice for Kansas Citians," Lucas said in a statement. The Missouri Supreme Court got it right, adhering to our Constitution and ensuring rights are protected, especially for those too often left out. Today is a deserved loss for Washington special interests aiming to cheat Missourians of fair representation.”

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway does not feel the same. She responded by calling the decision "unprecedented," vowing to seek immediate relief from the Supreme Court of the United States.

"Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election. This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full‑fledged constitutional crisis," Hanaway said in a statement. "Our office will move immediately to seek relief from SCOTUS. We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised — which is what today’s decision does."

Rep. Mark Alford (R-4th District) also chimed in. He said in his statement that regardless of the maps, he will continue to work hard for his constituents.

“We have stated from day one that regardless of the outcome, whether it was the New Fourth or the current Fourth, we look forward to representing the hard-working people of Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District," Alford said. "While we are trying to understand what this means for the near future, one thing is abundantly clear… We will win in November and we look forward to representing the people of Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District. We will always give our constituents the concierge level service they have been accustomed to receiving and we will always be the loudest, strongest, most consistent, unwavering conservative voice this district has ever seen.”

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