Missouri Supreme Court blocks Trump-backed map from November midterms

September 4, 2026 at 07:46 AM2 min

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The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocked a congressional map backed by President Donald Trump ahead of November's midterm elections, restoring the state's previous districts. Republican officials pledged to appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court. The decision comes after nearly 300,000 Missouri residents signed a petition to put the new map to a vote.

Key Facts

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that the referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely.
Nearly 300,000 Missouri residents signed a petition to put the new congressional map to a vote.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, said she would immediately appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump denounced the ruling on social media as "horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional."

The Court Ruling

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocked a congressional map signed into law in September 2025, designed to help Republicans win an extra seat in the US House of Representatives. The court wrote that "the referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise." It added that the Missouri Constitution has made such petitions legal, and "no exception applies." The court is staffed by seven judges, five of whom are Republican-appointed.

Reaction and Appeal

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, said she would immediately appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court. She called Thursday's decision a "full-fledged constitutional crisis." President Donald Trump denounced the ruling in a social media post, calling it "horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional." Trump wrote, "The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago. It's called, Ancient History."

Redistricting Context

The partisan redistricting effort prompted a popular backlash, with nearly 300,000 Missouri residents signing a petition to put the new map to a vote. Missouri's Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition as legally insufficient, setting up the legal fight. Two months remain until the midterm elections, and ballots will soon be printed. There are outstanding legal questions over whether a state's general election can use different congressional districts than its primaries did.