JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s Republican‑controlled Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a redistricting plan backed by former President Donald Trump that could help Republicans win an additional U.S. House seat in next year’s elections.
The state Senate passed the map and sent it to Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who said he will sign it into law soon. Lawmakers also approved a proposed change to the state constitution that would require citizen‑initiated amendments to carry a majority in each of Missouri’s congressional districts rather than a simple statewide majority; that measure would still require voter ratification. Senate leaders sharply limited debate and altered chamber rules before voting, drawing protests and immediate legal and political opposition.
Opponents of the plan quickly announced a referendum effort to try to force a statewide vote. People Not Politicians, which is leading the petition drive, said it will seek more than 100,000 valid signatures within 90 days to place the map before voters. "This fight is not over. Missouri voters — not politicians — will have the final say," said Elsa Rainey, a spokesperson for the group. Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck said he plans to help gather signatures to qualify a referendum.
The revised congressional map reconfigures parts of Kansas City’s 5th District, represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, by removing segments of the city and extending the district into more conservative rural areas. Critics say the changes reduce the share of Black and other minority residents in Cleaver’s district and draw a new dividing line along a street that has historically separated Black and white neighborhoods. Cleaver, the city’s first Black mayor who has served in Congress for more than two decades, said he will challenge the map in court and will seek reelection in 2026 regardless of its contours. "Together, in the courts and in the streets, we will continue pushing to ensure the law is upheld, justice prevails, and this unconstitutional gerrymander is defeated," he said.
Two lawsuits have already been filed seeking to block the plan. One, filed Friday on behalf of Missouri voters, argues that mid‑decade redistricting is barred by the state constitution; another, brought by the NAACP, has a hearing scheduled Monday. Cleaver and civil‑rights advocates contend the plan dilutes minority voting power in violation of federal and state law.
Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats. State leaders and national strategists have increasingly pursued mid‑decade redistricting in several states this year to try to shift the partisan balance ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas Republicans approved a new map last month aimed at adding several GOP seats, while Democrats in California proposed an opposing plan intended to produce additional Democratic seats; that California plan still requires voter approval.
Former President Trump praised the Missouri map on his social media platform, saying it is "much fairer, and much improved," and predicted it "will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections." Gov. Kehoe defended the changes as a way to amplify what he called "Missouri’s conservative, common‑sense values" in Washington.
Protesters gathered outside the capitol during the special session called by Kehoe, and civil‑rights groups and Democratic lawmakers said they will continue legal and political efforts to overturn the map. If referendum organizers collect the required signatures within the statutory 90‑day window, the map could be put to a statewide vote, delaying or blocking its use in the 2026 congressional elections while court challenges proceed.
The outcome in Missouri is likely to draw national attention because of the narrow margins that could determine control of the U.S. House. Democrats need a net gain of three seats to regain a majority, making individual state maps potentially decisive in shaping the balance of power in Congress and the ability of either party to pursue or block the next presidential agenda. Legal challenges and the pending referendum will determine whether the newly passed map takes effect for the 2026 elections.