A federal judge in Missouri has temporarily allowed the state to use a Republican-friendly congressional map for the upcoming midterm elections, granting a win for GOP officials after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene.
District Judge Stephen Clark issued a 14-day temporary restraining order Tuesday, mandating the use of the map approved by the Republican-controlled legislature and signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe last year. This order is in effect while the Eastern District court hears arguments on the case. The decision came shortly after Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who oversees cases from Missouri, refused an emergency appeal from state GOP officials seeking to overturn a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court.
Last week, the Missouri Supreme Court had ruled that the new congressional map could not be used in November, despite it having already been utilized for the state's primary elections. This ruling created confusion about which map would ultimately be in place for the general election.
Republicans, including U.S. Representative Bob Onder, R-Mo., who filed the lawsuit in the federal district court, argued that the state Supreme Court's order to switch maps just two months before Election Day was unconstitutional and created an "absurd situation" after over a million Missourians had already participated in primaries using the previous map.
Onder expressed confidence in the federal district court's eventual decision, stating that the temporary restraining order suggests the judge believes the plaintiffs would prevail on the merits of the case. He asserted that the map passed by the Missouri General Assembly and signed by the governor will be used in November.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway also indicated that the state would comply with Judge Clark's order, stating that changing the congressional map between primary and general elections is "not feasible and profoundly unjust to Missouri voters." Governor Kehoe echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for consistency and certainty for voters and candidates.
However, the group that challenged the GOP-friendly map at the state Supreme Court, People Not Politicians Missouri, plans to appeal the federal district court's ruling. Executive Director Richard von Glahn stated that the U.S. Supreme Court's denial of the motion to halt the state court's decision means that ruling remains legally in effect. Glahn accused state officials of defying the Missouri Supreme Court and vowed to file further appeals and requests for a stay in the 8th Circuit Court and with Justice Kavanaugh.