Missouri filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn a state court decision that blocked newly redrawn congressional districts from being used in the midterm election. The state’s highest court had ordered the districts suspended pending voter approval through a statewide referendum.
The dispute began when redistricting opponents gathered over 300,000 petition signatures to force a public vote on the new congressional map. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition, arguing Missouri’s constitution does not permit referendum petitions on congressional redistricting matters. Although Hoskins initially prevailed in lower court, Missouri’s Supreme Court ruled against him, finding the referendum petition effectively suspended the new districts retroactively from last December.
The new boundaries were drawn to assist Republicans in securing an additional House seat and maintaining their narrow majority in the chamber following the midterm elections. The districts had been used during the August primary election, but the state court ruled that previous districts enacted after the 2020 census must be used for the general election in November.
Missouri’s Attorney General Catherine Hanaway characterized the state court’s decision as unprecedented, stating no court in American history had previously ordered congressional map changes between a primary and general election. She argued the ruling creates “unprecedented chaos” and expressed uncertainty about whether the state could implement such changes before the federal election while meeting statutory deadlines.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who oversees appeals from the region, set a Monday deadline for opponents of the new map to file their response. The unusual mid-decade redistricting battle reflects broader national disputes over congressional boundaries that have spread to multiple states during this election cycle.
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