Missouri asks US Supreme Court to restore Republican-friendly congressional map

… {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Missouri asks Supreme Court to restore GOP-friendly congressional map\u00a0","description":"Missouri launched an effort at the Supreme Court late Friday to restore its Republican-friendly congressional map, warning that a lower ruling invalidating it has unleashed “unprecedented chaos” on the midterms.  “A federal-election-administration disaster is unfolding in Missouri,” Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s (R) office wrote in its emergency application. Missouri’s new congressional map created a…","datePublished":"2026-09-05T11:45:47+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-05T16:29:14+00:00","url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/6072940-missouri-redistricting-gop-map-supreme-court\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/6072940-missouri-redistricting-gop-map-supreme-court\/"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Hill","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/cropped-favicon-512px-1.png","width":512,"height":512}},"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zach Schonfeld","url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/?post_type=profile&p=3498423"}],"alternativeHeadline":"","articleBody":"Missouri launched an effort at the Supreme Court late Friday to restore its Republican-friendly congressional map, warning that a lower ruling invalidating it has unleashed \u201cunprecedented chaos\u201d on the midterms.  \u201cA federal-election-administration disaster is unfolding in Missouri,\u201d Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway\u2019s (R) office wrote in its emergency application. Missouri\u2019s new congressional map created a 7-1 GOP split by weakening Rep. Emanuel Cleaver\u2019s (D-Mo.) Kansas City-based seat. It was one of a handful of states where Republicans have boosted their chances in the mid-decade redistricting war, adding to gains in places like Texas and Florida.  On Thursday, the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the map. The court unanimously ruled that the state\u2019s constitution permits voters to organize a referendum on the redistricting plan. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R) previously denied such an effort by deciding otherwise.  The new ruling means Missouri cannot use its Republican-friendly map that it used for the primary. Instead, the state must revert to a 6-1 GOP-favored design. The referendum would be placed on the ballot for approval in November, but it can\u2019t take effect, since voters haven\u2019t signed off.  \u201cOnly this Court can prevent Missouri from being forced to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters; and only this Court can ensure that Missouri hosts a timely and lawful federal congressional election. The Court should do so,\u201d the state wrote in court filings. The case is on the Supreme Court's emergency docket, where the court handles urgent matters on an expedited timeline, often without oral argument. By default, the request heads to Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an appointee of former President Trump who handles emergency matters arising from Missouri. He could also refer the case to the full court for a vote.  Missouri argues the lower decision violated the federal Constitution, which hands state legislatures authority to regulate elections. Hanaway\u2019s office called the ruling \u201cbizarre and profoundly anti-democratic\" and said it would irreparably harm voters.  \u201cAs far as Missouri is aware, no State has ever been forced to use a different congressional map for an election cycle merely because a small minority of voters submitted a petition. And it certainly has never been done after a completed primary election,\u201d the state wrote.  It lurches the Supreme Court into the redistricting wars once again. Last December, the high court revived a congressional map in Texas that sparked the mid-decade redistricting war by adding up to five Republican pickup opportunities. A lower court had invalidated it as a likely racial gerrymander.  In May, the court refused Virginia Democrats\u2019 plea to reinstate their congressional map after the state\u2019s top court ruled they hadn\u2019t followed procedures mandated by Virginia\u2019s constitution.  And on its normal docket, the Supreme Court earlier this year narrowed redistricting challenges under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That decision has allowed states like Louisiana to change their maps ahead of the midterms. ","articleSection":"Court Battles","genre":["Campaign","Court Battles","News"],"keywords":["Missouri","redistricting","Supreme Court"],"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Elsewhere-Hoskins_080426_AP_David-A-Lieb.jpg?strip=1","name":"Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins talks to reporters on Aug. 4, 2026, at his office in the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. (David A. Lieb, Associated Press)","width":1400,"height":787},"associatedMedia":[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Hill's Headlines \u2014 September 5, 2026","description":"The Hill's Headlines \u2014 September 5, 2026","thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/h104216-fcdn.mp.lura.live\/1\/938892\/pvw_lin\/8DA\/CBB\/8DACBB7EDBB24D4B27EB63460B75EE57_3_160x90.jpg?aktaexp=2082787200&aktasgn=453b59d7348ca33ef8912c3884207cbf","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tkx.mp.lura.live\/rest\/v2\/mcp\/video\/12142440?anvack=q261XAmOMdqqRf1p7eCo7IYmO1kyPmMB&token=%7E7yq4dZEDaQr0MS1UZl6mXvNkDcaUpZnyJl8%3D","uploadDate":"2026-09-05T12:18:00-04:00","duration":"P0DT0H1M0S"}]} …