Missouri Supreme Court redistricting ruling surprises voters on both sides of aisle

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel. KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.

—

Missouri's highest court ruled Thursday that voters will decide whether to adopt new congressional districts drawn in 2025.

The Missouri Supreme Court's unanimous decision on redistricting came as good news to some voters and a disappointment to others — but for voters on both sides of the issue, it came as a surprise.

"It was honestly shocking," said Steve Friesen, a Democrat voter who lives in Kansas City's Volker neighborhood.

Chris Morrison/KSHB 41

Another voter, Mark Anthony Jones, who is also chairman of the Fifth Congressional District Republican Committee, echoed that sentiment.

"I was shocked. I thought they were going to rubber stamp it and move on through," Jones said.

Chris Morrison/KSHB 41

Friesen and Jones may have shared the same initial reactions, but the emotions that followed fell more in line with their party's views.

"I was glad to see the Supreme Court side with the constitution," Friesen said. "The thing that surprised me the most was that it was a unanimous decision."

The court's ruling Thursday lets voters decide if they want to adopt U.S. congressional districts drawn in 2025 and used in the August primary.

The state will revert to the 2022 congressional map for November's election.

A mid-decade redistricting effort is rare.

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

For Friesen, the new map hit close to home.

"This little piece of Kansas City is in that narrow neck that got kicked out of District 5 into District 4," Friesen said. "It felt like a blatant effort to remove my vote, to erase my vote."

Under the 2022 map, Friesen and Jones are represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

The 2025 map placed them in Republican Congressman Mark Alford's Fourth District.

"Move me into a district where I agreed with most of the things that my representative did into a district where I disagree with most of the things my representative did," Friesen said.

Jones shared his mindset on living under the 2025 map’s boundaries.

"I'm no longer in Cleaver's district where I had no representation and no relationship with the congressman," Jones said. "When he became congressman, I was thrilled and kept in touch with him, so now I'm in his district."

Jones said he supports redistricting, but acknowledged the timing. He called the current lack of representation "strange."

"I wish it wasn't mid-decade, but it is," Jones said. "It's very strange. I don't think it'll stand in the end, but it is a bobble in the road, and we'll deal with it."

Former Chief Justice Mike Wolff told KSHB 41 News he agreed with the Supreme Court's decision. He believes the ruling upholds Missourians' ability to impact the government.

“If 300,000 people sign a petition, I think that means something. I mean, there's some intensity there that says, the framers of the Constitution said this deserves to be on the ballot," Wolff said.

Charlie Keegan/KSHB

He added he doesn't expect the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Attorney General Catherine Hanaway's request for an appeal. Wolff believes federal law places most control over elections on state governments.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

—