Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Friday announced plans for a special legislative session to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts, part of a broader national push by Republicans and Democrats to tilt congressional maps ahead of next year’s elections.
Kehoe said the special session, set to begin Sept. 3, will address a proposed new map that targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by stretching it eastward into rural, Republican-leaning areas. The move comes just hours after Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new congressional map intended to add five GOP seats in 2026, a win for former President Donald Trump who has urged redrawing efforts in several states.
In Missouri, the plan is one of several mid-decade redistricting efforts seen across the country, with both parties pursuing strategies they say will better reflect population shifts and political realities since the 2020 Census. Missouri is currently represented in the U.S. House by six Republicans and two Democrats, Cleaver and Rep. Wesley Bell of St. Louis.
Kehoe also backed a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to approve citizen-initiated ballot measures, such as abortion rights and marijuana legalization amendments that have been adopted in recent years. He argued the measures would defend Missouri’s conservative values and prevent what he described as liberal overreach.
Democrats quickly criticized the plan. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune labeled Kehoe a “Trump puppet” for attempting to “steal a congressional seat for Republicans” and for targeting the ballot-initiative process. She compared the move to threats to the integrity of state government dating back to Missouri’s pre-Civil War era, a charge aimed at highlighting what critics see as the dangers of gerrymandering.
Missouri lawmakers face procedural realities that affect what can be accomplished. Unlike Texas, where Democrats fled the state to block votes, Missouri Democrats’ absence would not trigger a quorum issue for ordinary business. They could attempt a filibuster in the Senate, but Republicans could use procedural steps to overcome such opposition, as they have done in past votes on other issues, including abortion-related measures.
National context shows a closely divided House with a narrow GOP majority after the 2024 elections. An Associated Press analysis found that the current map favors both parties in different states, underscoring that redistricting can shape outcomes beyond a single election cycle. Democrats would need to net three seats to gain control, while the president’s party historically loses seats in midterm elections.
Texas already holds 25 of its 38 House seats after Abbott’s signing, a shift praised by Republicans but met with legal challenges from voting rights groups who say the map weakens Black voters’ influence. California, where Democratic control is strong, has pursued maps designed to increase Democratic representation as well.
Some Missouri Republicans had advocated a more aggressive 7-1 map that would heavily tilt districts, but party leaders chose a more moderate option due to concerns about legal challenges and potential backlash in a year when the GOP faces competitive seats elsewhere.
Beyond Missouri, lawmakers in Florida, Indiana and several Democratic-leaning states including Illinois, Maryland and New York have contemplated or pursued district-map moves. In Utah, a court recently ordered new districts after a finding that lawmakers weakened an independent redistricting process established by voters; Utah’s current map has produced unanimous Republican control of the state’s four congressional seats.
What this means for Missouri voters is a potential shift in who represents them and how districts are drawn, with implications for campaign dynamics, ballot initiatives, and the balance of power in the state’s congressional delegation. Supporters say the changes could better reflect population shifts and uphold state priorities, while opponents warn they could diminish voter influence and undermine direct democracy through the ballot-initiative process.
Summary of key points
– Missouri set to hold a Sept. 3 special session to redraw its U.S. House map, with a plan that would expand Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s district into rural areas won by Republicans.
– A separate constitutional amendment would make citizen-initiated ballot measures harder to approve.
– Republicans argue the moves defend conservative values and align with population shifts; Democrats oppose as gerrymandering that could silence voices.
– The national backdrop includes parallel redistricting efforts in Texas and California, with ongoing legal questions about voting rights and representation.
– Missouri’s political calculus includes potential legal challenges and the practical realities of passing maps in a partisan environment.
Additional context and considerations
– The timing of the Missouri session places it in a broader national debate about how, and how much, to redraw districts in the middle of the decade.
– Legal challenges are likely in some states, as voting rights groups and opponents have already signaled intent to challenge new maps in court in at least one state.
– For readers tracking how district lines may influence future elections, this development in Missouri highlights how midterm dynamics could hinge on redistricting battles just a year ahead of voting.