In a dramatic and contentious turn at the Missouri state capitol, Republican lawmakers have advanced a congressional redistricting plan that critics say will cement GOP dominance in the state’s delegation to Washington, D.C. The move, which unfolded in Jefferson City on September 9, 2025, follows a special legislative session called by Governor Mike Kehoe at the urging of former President Donald Trump. The plan, which splits the Democrat-held 5th congressional district—long anchored by Kansas City—into three separate districts, is poised to give Republicans a 7-to-1 advantage in Missouri’s eight seats for the 2026 U.S. House midterm elections, according to reporting by KTVO and The Missouri Independent.
The debate over the new maps has exposed deep rifts not just between Missouri’s Republicans and Democrats but within the GOP itself. State Representative Tony Harbison, a Republican, delivered a pointed rebuke to his own party on the House floor, declaring, "The needs are heavy, the list is long. Our plate is full of things that we need to be doing for the people of this state, and this ain’t one of them." The statement, which drew immediate applause from both sides of the aisle, underscored the frustration felt by some lawmakers who believe constituent priorities are being sidelined in favor of partisan maneuvering.
Despite such dissent, the House pressed ahead, passing the redistricting measure with a 90-65 vote. Thirteen Republicans, including House Speaker Jon Patterson of Kansas City, joined Democrats in voting against the revised map. Still, the majority prevailed, and the legislation now heads to the state Senate, where Republicans also hold a commanding majority and are widely expected to approve the plan. Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin left little doubt about the strategy’s intent, writing on Facebook, “The map and the initiative petition reform measures will strike a huge blow to progressives and their efforts to turn Missouri into California. We are not California. We are not progressives.”
The new map’s most controversial feature is its treatment of Kansas City’s congressional representation. The district, currently held by Democratic Representative Emmanuel Cleaver—a Methodist pastor, former Kansas City mayor, and the city’s first Black mayor—would be carved up, stretching eastward into Republican-heavy rural areas. As reported by TNND, this move would dilute the influence of Black and minority voters in the 5th district, with other parts of Kansas City absorbed into two predominantly rural, Republican-led districts. Cleaver, who turns 81 in October, has vowed to challenge the new map in court, accusing Republicans of fostering “intimidation” and “division.”
“Using our raw political power to tilt the playing field to our side, regardless of the party, is wrong,” said Republican state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, one of several GOP lawmakers who broke ranks to oppose the measure. Wolfin’s remarks echoed those of Harbison and Speaker Patterson, who both cited ethical and moral concerns about the redistricting effort. “Unfortunately, it’s not ethics.… It’s not morality. It’s definitely not liberty. It’s just political power,” Wolfin continued, emphasizing that “morality is not defined by what is legal. Morality is not defined by what you can get away with.”
The redistricting push is not occurring in a vacuum. Missouri is the latest battleground in a national struggle over congressional maps, with Republican-led states such as Texas and Democratic-led states like California and New York also considering or implementing new district lines. These efforts are part of a broader trend, as noted by TNND, in which both parties seek to maximize their representation in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms. Trump, who is encouraging Republican-controlled states to redraw maps, has made it clear that increasing GOP seats in the U.S. House is a top priority.
Missouri’s redistricting drama has also spilled over into the state’s initiative process. Alongside the new congressional map, the House passed a measure that would make it significantly harder for citizen-led initiatives to amend the state constitution. Under the proposed change, any amendment would require a majority vote in each congressional district, rather than a simple statewide majority. If approved by the Senate and voters, this would mark a major shift, potentially curbing the power of grassroots movements that have recently succeeded in winning ballot measures on abortion rights, Medicaid expansion, and marijuana legalization.
Democratic lawmakers, for their part, have not gone quietly. In the days leading up to the House vote, three Democratic representatives staged a sit-in protest in the chamber, sleeping there for several nights to draw attention to what they called an illegitimate process. Rep. Ray Reed of St. Louis, one of the protestors, accused Republicans of “bending a knee to Donald Trump and pushing through these racist, gerrymandered districts.” The Missouri chapter of the NAACP has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the special session, arguing there is no extraordinary circumstance to justify mid-decade redistricting and that the state constitution prohibits such moves without new census data or a court ruling that would invalidate current districts.
Yet the legal landscape remains murky. Missouri’s newly sworn-in Attorney General, Catherine Hanaway, who took office on September 8, 2025, told TNND she does not believe there is any constitutional prohibition against the rare mid-decade redistricting. This interpretation is certain to be tested in court, as Democrats and civil rights groups prepare to challenge the new map’s legality and its impact on minority representation.
Supporters of the new map, including its sponsor, Republican state Rep. Dirk Deaton, argue that the changes will “better represent Missouri in Washington, D.C.” Governor Kehoe has also defended the plan, insisting it will amplify conservative voices and ensure the state’s interests are protected at the national level. “It’s a congressional map that will better represent Missouri in Washington, D.C.,” Deaton said, echoing the governor’s sentiments.
Missouri’s redistricting saga is emblematic of a broader struggle over democracy, representation, and power in the United States. As states across the country wrestle with the legacy of the 2020 census and the political imperatives of the coming midterms, the question of who draws the lines—and on whose behalf—remains fiercely contested. In Missouri, at least, the battle lines are drawn, and the outcome will shape not only the state’s political future but also the broader national balance of power for years to come.
