Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a new congressional map into law Sunday that could ultimately expand the GOP’s House majority, yet several legal challenges still loom.
The new map is expected to result in Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver losing his seat next November, according to The Beacon, a local news outlet.
“I was proud to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law today ahead of the 2026 midterm election,” Kehoe said in a news release.
“We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk,” he added.
Kehoe called for the General Assembly to hold a special session back in August. This was not long after President Donald Trump had launched a national discussion about red states redrawing their congressional districts to favor the GOP.
The Department of Justice even sent a letter to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in late July, stating that, “It is the position of this Department that several Texas Congressional Districts constitute unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.”
Lawmakers went on to redraw the state’s districts early, as most congressional maps are left untouched until the 2030 census.
Texas’ new map could potentially net Republicans five additional seats in the upcoming midterms.
This opened the floodgates for Republican-led states like Missouri, Florida, Indiana, and others to examine similar plans that could help boost the GOP’s slim majority.
The NAACP, however, is challenging Missouri’s map by claiming Kehoe didn’t have the authority to call an “extraordinary session” on redistricting.
Two other lawsuits were filed — one by a private firm on behalf of state residents and another by the Missouri ACLU — citing how the map was passed halfway through the census cycle, The Beacon reported.
The ACLU also raised an issue about a precinct in Kansas City being included in two districts at once. Kehoe chalked this up to a Census Bureau issue when speaking to the Missouri Independent, stating that this doesn’t mean the same voters have been placed in multiple districts.
As for the other issues and general legality of the maps, Kehoe said, “We’ll let the courts decide on that.”
Different states have different rules for redistricting. Most states — like Texas and Missouri — empower the legislature and governor to legally pass new maps. Others have non-partisan election commissions or rely on a hybrid system.
Missouri’s framework empowers the legislature to redraw congressional lines and gives the governor the authority to approve or veto it. The mid-decade timing and accusations of racial bias, however, have triggered left-wing legal challenges.
The issue could end up going all the way to the Supreme Court, depending on how lower courts rule.
Additionally, The Beacon reported that a group called People NOT Politicians is trying to collect 110,000 signatures by year’s end to force a ballot initiative on the matter.
If the organization is successful, Missouri’s new map would only go into effect if it is approved by a majority of voters statewide.
“We wouldn’t have went into this without feeling like we had good advice on that,” Kehoe said. “I’m comfortable with the folks that we’ve been working with. I really believe they’re very good on these issues, and we think we’ll withstand all those challenges.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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