Supreme Court Rejects Trump-Backed Missouri Congressional Map for Third Time

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an attempt to use a new Missouri congressional map backed by President Donald Trump, putting an end to a long-running legal dispute as absentee voting is underway in the midterm elections.

The Court halted a federal appeals court ruling that would have revived the Republican-friendly map for the November elections. Instead, the decision let stand a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, which found that a citizen petition prevents the new map from being used unless first approved by voters in a November referendum. Missouri residents will now vote under the same congressional districts used in the 2022 and 2024 elections.

The Supreme Court's unsigned opinion stated, "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos." Republicans had hoped the new 2025 House map, which was used in the August primaries, could help them win an additional seat and targeted a district held by Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver.

Cleaver expressed happiness after the Supreme Court ruling. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled Monday that switching districts between the primary and general elections would violate the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court had previously intervened twice in the dispute, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh had denied an earlier appeal by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. More than 300,000 individuals signed a petition to urge a vote on the congressional map.