The refusal comes as Republican officials in Missouri face contempt charges for ignoring lower court rulings.
Published September 10, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court has again rejected President Donald Trump’s administration’s request to use Republican-friendly district maps in Missouri.
The court issued its latest order Thursday without any objections to the decision, appearing to clear the way for Missouri to use the old maps in this November’s midterm elections that could determine which party controls the House.
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Earlier this week, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, rejected another request from the administration for the new Republican-favored map to take effect, neither referring the case to the nine-member court nor explaining his decision. Mr. Kavanaugh will address the emergency from Missouri.
Contempt against Republican officials
The battle for Missouri’s congressional districts has been going on for more than a year, creating confusion over which districts are open to voters.
Thursday’s denial came hours after a federal judge allowed the Missouri Supreme Court to proceed with a contempt hearing against Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins.
The state Supreme Court previously ordered Hoskins not to use pro-Trump maps in the general election, but instead to use districts passed after the last census.
At the same time, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark, a Trump appointee, on Tuesday barred Hoskins from using anything other than the new map supported by Trump.
The state Supreme Court then ordered Hoskins to appear for a contempt hearing on Thursday for disobeying the order and directing local election officials to use precincts favored by Trump.
State attorneys representing Hoskins asked Clark to halt the contempt hearing, but Clark refused.
Redistricting plan
Last year, Missouri became the second state after Texas to draw new Republican-led districts, after President Trump urged Republicans to redraw congressional districts in their favor ahead of the midterm elections.
The revised Missouri district aims to shift some of the Kansas City-based seat held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to nearby districts and expand the rest into rural Republican areas. The goal is to help Republicans win seven of the state’s eight House seats (an increase of one seat) in the midterm elections.
Redistricting opponents have gathered hundreds of thousands of petition signatures to force a statewide vote on new districts. They submitted their signatures in December. But Hoskins waited until August, when Missouri’s primary election was held, to deny the petition. Hoskins argued that referendum petitions cannot be used to redraw legislative districts.
The postponement allows Missouri to use new districts in the August primary. Republican state officials argue that it violates voters’ federal right to redistrict before the general election.
But the Missouri Supreme Court last week ordered Hoskins to include the redistricting referendum on the November ballot, which he did. The court also ruled that the new district would not become law and would be suspended retroactively to the filing of the petition in December.
The state then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to block the state court’s findings. Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied their request.
The court barred Hoskins from using the new map and said the old map, passed by Republican lawmakers in 2022 after the last census, must be used in the November election. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal of that ruling. However, Mr. Clark issued a contradictory order shortly thereafter.
