Supreme Court Ends Missouri Redistricting Fight, Keeps 2022 Map for November

The Supreme Court has ruled that Missouri will hold its November congressional elections under its existing 2022 map, ending a months-long legal fight over a new map drawn by Republicans in 2025.

In an unsigned order with no noted dissents, the justices blocked a lower appeals court directive that would have required the state to switch to the 2025 map. The court warned that forcing a change while the election was already underway would create electoral chaos, especially since voting had begun.

What was at stake

Under the 2022 map, Missouri has seven Republican-leaning districts and two that lean Democratic. The 2025 map, passed by the GOP-controlled legislature as part of a mid-decade redistricting push, would have left just one Democratic-leaning seat. The main target was the Kansas City-area district held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

A setback for the GOP push

Democrats and voting rights groups challenged the new map, and a ballot initiative that would let voters weigh in on it is still pending. The ruling means the state will conduct its general election under a different map than some had expected, after months of confusion for voters and election officials.

The decision is a notable setback for Republicans, who had hoped redrawn maps in several states would help protect their narrow House majority this fall.

Sources: ABC News