KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Late Tuesday night, The Missouri Supreme Court sent Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins a letter that "ordered Hoskins to show cause, if any, why he should not be held in contempt for violating this Court’s injunction dated September 3, 2026, entered beforethe statutory deadline of September 8, 2026, and before the temporary restraining order entered by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri of that same date."
"A federal district court judge in St. Louis and the Missouri Supreme Court are now pointing Missouri election officials in opposite directions. For now, that leaves the state's congressional map for the November election unresolved."
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' request Tuesday to suspend the Missouri Supreme Court's decision blocking the state's new congressional map. That decision means the 2022 map would be in effect.
Minutes later, a federal district court judge in St. Louis issued a temporary restraining order directing Hoskins to use the 2025 congressional map — known as the Missouri First Map — in November.
"It's a mess," said Matt Harris, an associate professor of political science at Park University. "It's really difficult for elections officials across the state of Missouri to figure out what they're supposed to be doing. You have a valid order from the Missouri Supreme Court that says to use one set of district boundaries, now you have an order from a district judge saying use one set of district boundaries."
The case stems from a filing by U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican congressional candidate from Harrisonville. People Not Politicians Missouri filed an emergency notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit seeking to overturn the district judge's order.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said the state intends to comply with the federal ruling.
"Missouri is prepared to follow and comply with Chief Judge Clark's order that binds the state to using the Missouri First map for the November General Election," Hanaway said. "We appreciate Judge Clark's support of the rights of Missouri voters, and intend to comply with this federal ruling. We maintain that changing the congressional map in between the primary and general elections is simply not feasible and profoundly unjust to Missouri voters."
Hoskins called the federal ruling a victory.
"This victory halts a full-on constitutional crisis," Hoskins said. "It ensures the candidates Missourians nominated in the August primary election are the same candidates running in the same congressional districts they will vote on in the November general election. This is a win for Missouri and a win for constitutional conservativism and I am proud to lead this charge."
Gov. Mike Kehoe also weighed in, writing on X that the Missouri First map will be used in the general election.
"Voters and candidates deserve consistency, certainty, and not to have the rules changed between elections," Kehoe said.
Brattin, who ran his primary race under the newly redrawn 5th District, said he is pleased with the outcome.
"I'm glad justice was done," he said. "It wasn't the highest court in the land, but it was a federal court that saw this case for what it was and rectified it. "I feel great, I'm very happy."
Critics say the new map unfairly targets the 5th District, which Democrat Emanuel Cleaver has won for two decades.
Chuck Hatfield, an attorney for People Not Politicians, argued the St. Louis judge does not have the authority to overrule the Missouri Supreme Court.
"They can't use House Bill 1," Hatfield said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
"They will be in contempt of an order of the Missouri Supreme Court if they do," Hatfield said. "Judge Clark's order does not say that the Missouri Supreme Court order is lifted."
Richard von Glahn of People Not Politicians said the matter ultimately belongs to voters.
"Our democracy belongs to us," von Glahn said.
Harris said the legal uncertainty is far from over, noting the deadline for ballots to go out is Sept. 19.
"The window is shrinking here and we still don't have clarity on what set of district boundaries are going to be used come November," Harris explained. "There's really no clarity, because right now we have the final word from the Missouri Supreme Court, a word from a federal court, but not the final word. Stay tuned."
Experts expect more legal challenges in the coming days. Harris anticipates movement within 24 hours.
"This is one federal judge, there might be an appeal, it might make its way back up to the Supreme Court, but as of right now, you're sitting right here with the highest court in Missouri saying one thing, and then a federal judge. That's not the final word on that," Harris added.
Late Tuesday night, People Not Politicians and Richard von Glahn filed an emergency motion in federal court asking Judge Clark to stay the temporary restraining order while an appeal is pending, arguing that election officials are caught in an "impossible position" between two conflicting court orders. The group also filed a separate emergency motion in the Missouri Supreme Court asking the court to hold Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt, arguing his announcement that he intends to use the Missouri First map is a direct violation of the court's September 3 injunction.
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