But another federal court ruling contradicts the Supreme Court’s ruling, leaving the map in limbo.
Published September 9, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to restore Missouri’s Republican-backed congressional map, leaving the old map in place for November’s midterm elections.
On Tuesday, Missouri state emergency judge Brett Kavanaugh denied the state’s request for the new map to go into effect. He did not refer the case to the nine-member court or explain his decision.
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The decision is a setback for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, which had supported redistricting efforts as part of a broader effort to improve the chances of an election.
The new Republican-leaning map would have carved out Missouri’s Democratic-leaning 5th District, giving the party a better chance of winning additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
However, the outcome of the legal battle remains unclear.
Hours after Judge Kavanaugh’s ruling, a federal court in Missouri temporarily blocked the use of old congressional maps.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark, a Trump appointee, requires Missouri to use new Republican-friendly maps in November’s midterm elections.
His order will remain in effect for 14 days while the court considers the dispute. Opponents of the new map have already filed an appeal.
Tuesday’s contrasting court decisions are likely to cause turmoil in Missouri with less than two months until midterm elections.
The controversy centers on the 2025 congressional map approved by Missouri Republicans. Missouri, along with other right-wing states including Texas, heeded President Trump’s call to redraw congressional districts to favor Republican candidates.
The new boundaries would divide the 5th Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver. The district includes most of Kansas City, but the new map would shift some of the old districts to nearby Republican-controlled districts.
But opponents of the partisan redistricting effort collected hundreds of thousands of signatures to force a vote on the new map.
That triggered an ongoing legal battle. Missouri Republican officials refused to accept the petition as legitimate, and a lawsuit broke out.
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously last week that the Republican-favored maps must be approved by voters in a statewide referendum before they can be used.
Had Kavanaugh made his decision on Tuesday, last week’s decision would have stood. However, Clark’s subsequent ruling added further uncertainty to the issue.
Also complicating the legal dynamics of the case is the fact that Missouri already conducts party primaries using Republican-leaning maps.
Opponents of the map argue that Republican officials intentionally rejected the referendum petition because they didn’t have time to appeal it right before the primary.
Missouri’s Republican attorney general, Katherine Hannaway, argued that reverting to the old map would disrupt the electoral process since the primary was decided on a new map.
Hanaway also said the state is “ready to comply” with Clark’s Tuesday order “mandating the use” of new congressional districts.
At stake is Republican control of the US House of Representatives. Republicans have a slim majority in the 435-member House of Representatives, out of 219 seats, including one right-wing independent.
The Democratic Party holds 214 seats, so the race for control of the chamber is likely to be resolved over several elections.
President Trump’s redistricting drive in mid-2010 increased Republicans’ chances of winning in about 16 districts across the country, including Cleaver’s seat in Missouri. On the other hand, the Democratic Party gained an advantage in six constituencies.
