by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday again blocked Missouri from using a newly drawn Republican congressional map designed to strengthen the GOP’s position heading into the November midterm elections.
The justices granted an emergency request from People Not Politicians, staying a federal district court order that had required Missouri to use the 2025 congressional map. The ruling effectively leaves the state’s 2022 congressional districts in place while the legal battle continues.
The dispute has produced an unusual clash between state and federal courts. On Sept. 3, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Republican Legislature’s 2025 map never took effect because opponents submitted a valid referendum petition before the law became effective. The court ordered the question placed before voters in November.
Just days later, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark ordered Missouri to use the newer map, arguing that switching congressional districts after the August primary could violate voters’ federal constitutional rights. The Supreme Court’s Sept. 10 order stayed Clark’s ruling while appeals continue.
The political stakes are significant. Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats, while the 2025 map was drawn to give the GOP a potential 7–1 advantage, largely by restructuring the Kansas City-area district represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver. The plan was supported by President Donald Trump as Republicans seek to protect their narrow House majority in the 2026 midterms.
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