KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
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The Missouri Supreme Court issued opinions in two cases Tuesday, one of which upholds the state's 2025 congressional redistricting map.
The new map moves all of Clay County into the 6th District, which is drawing mixed reactions from neighbors.
Gary Smedile, former chairman of the Clay County Republican Party, said the ruling was welcome news.
"I think it was, well, long overdue for Missouri," he said.
Smedile said the new map better reflects the values of Northland residents, and he believes the change will lead to representation more aligned with his views.
"The Northland is truly, yes, a diverse area, but the values that we have overall are much more in line with what this map represents," Smedile said. "I'm confident that my opinions and my beliefs will be more fully represented by whoever's elected."
Smedile also addressed those who oppose the outcome.
"There are people who might disagree with the outcome," he said. "But it will benefit a majority of Missouri voters."
James Skaggs, executive director of the Clay County Democratic Central Committee, said the decision has created confusion among residents.
"Nobody really knows right now what district they're in," Skaggs said. "It is unfair and has put us into this sense of chaos in a middle of the decade redistricting."
Skaggs said the rulings compound existing frustration as the new district lines group together communities with different needs.
"I don't share the same values as someone up in Maryville, someone up in the Kirksville area, who's a farmer and needs things around agriculture," Skaggs said.
Despite the uncertainty, he remains hopeful.
"I am choosing not to believe that people are going to give up because people are really mad about what's going on," Skaggs said.
Charles De Leon, a Kansas City resident who said he does not identify with either major party, has concerns about what the redistricting means for urban communities.
"I think we have to let go of Republican versus Democrat," he said. "I don't see how putting Kansas City in a district with counties that are hundreds of miles away are actually going to empower Kansas City. I hope for the best, but prepare myself for the worst."
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