Missouri Supreme Court Blocks GOP Congressional Map for November Election

The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously blocked the state from using a new Republican-drawn congressional map in the November general election, ordering instead that the previous district boundaries be used and that voters decide the map's fate in a referendum. The ruling, issued on September 3, 2026, represents a significant legal setback for the GOP's national redistricting efforts and preserves the political landscape for the upcoming midterms. In its 14-page opinion, the court found that a referendum petition filed by the group People Not Politicians was "legal, sufficient, and timely." The justices ruled that the new map, passed by the Republican-led legislature in a special session last year, did not go into effect and cannot be used unless approved by voters. Consequently, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census, which features six Republican-leaning districts and two Democratic-leaning districts, remains in full force for the November 2026 election. The decision stems from a year-long battle over the new districts, which were drawn under pressure from the Trump administration to gain a partisan advantage.