The Missouri state Senate on Friday approved a Republican-drawn congressional map in a 21-11 vote that is likely to give Republicans an additional U.S. House seat and a 7-1 advantage in the state's delegation if signed into law.
The measure, advanced in a special legislative session called by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, passed the Missouri House earlier in the week and now heads to Kehoe’s desk for signature. Supporters say the plan, dubbed the "Missouri First Map," will better align congressional districts with the state’s conservative electorate; opponents say it is a partisan gerrymander aimed at eliminating Democratic representation.
The newly drawn map shifts the Kansas City-area district of Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver eastward to include more rural, right-leaning counties. State and national analysts say that change would make Cleaver’s seat highly vulnerable and likely to flip to a Republican in the 2026 midterm elections.
Cleaver, who opposed the plan at a Senate committee hearing, said he would pursue legal action if the map is signed. Testifying Sept. 11, 2025, he called the proposal "immensely unpopular" and warned against reciprocal tactics, saying, "If you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’re going to have left is ashes."
Kehoe, who convened the special session and unveiled the map, said the changes would ensure Missouri’s "conservative, commonsense values" are represented at all levels of government. President Donald Trump posted that the map presents "the tremendous opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections."
Democrats protested the plan at the Capitol, staging a sit-in on the House floor and holding rallies as the legislature considered the measure. Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune accused Republicans of seeking to "rig our maps and eliminate our representation in Congress." Russ Carnahan, chair of the Missouri Democratic Party and a former congressman, warned of electoral backlash for lawmakers who back the redistricting.
With Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, Democratic lawmakers had limited avenues to prevent passage. Cleaver and other Democrats said they would challenge the map in court if Kehoe signs it.
Missouri’s action comes as part of a broader, national redistricting push by Republicans aimed at expanding a narrow House majority ahead of the 2026 midterms. Hours before Kehoe called the special session, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a GOP-drawn plan that state leaders say could create additional right-leaning districts in that state.
Democrats have mounted counter-efforts in other states. In California, Democratic leaders placed a special ballot proposition on the November ballot to temporarily return map-drawing authority to the Democratic-controlled legislature, a move proponents argue would create more Democratic-leaning districts. Democrats are also eyeing potential gains in New York, Illinois and Maryland, while judges and courts in states such as Ohio and Utah have ordered new maps or remedial processes in recent months.
Legal challenges, state-level political fights and ballot measures are likely to prolong the dispute over congressional boundaries well into next year. Both parties say redistricting is critical to control of the U.S. House; Democrats need a three-seat gain to reclaim the majority, according to current projections.
If Kehoe signs the Missouri map, the case could join other high-profile redistricting disputes now moving through state and federal courts, with potential implications for control of the House in 2026 and for how states handle mid-decade boundary changes going forward.