Missouri is on the verge of cementing a new congressional map that could significantly shift the balance of political power in the state and help Republicans maintain their narrow hold on the U.S. House of Representatives next year. On Tuesday, the Missouri House of Representatives voted 90-65 to approve a redistricting plan that would effectively eliminate one Democrat-controlled district, turning the state’s delegation into a near Republican sweep.
If the measure clears the Missouri Senate later this week, the “Missouri First Map” will give the GOP control of seven of the state’s eight U.S. House seats. Currently, Democrats hold two, but the newly approved boundaries would almost certainly draw out Kansas City–based Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a long-serving Democrat.
The move comes after Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe called for a special legislative session to address congressional redistricting. Kehoe urged lawmakers to adopt a new framework that would better reflect what he described as “Missouri values.”
“Today, I am calling on the General Assembly to take action on congressional redistricting and initiative petition reform to ensure our districts and Constitution truly put Missouri values first,” Kehoe said in a statement unveiling the Missouri First Map.
The governor emphasized that the proposed map is more compact and contiguous than the existing boundaries, splitting fewer counties and municipalities. He also noted that it preserves two districts as they are currently drawn, ensuring that sitting representatives retain their constituencies.
“Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our Missouri values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the extreme Left representation of New York, California and Illinois,” Kehoe declared. “Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that.”
Missouri’s action is part of a broader wave of mid-decade redistricting efforts spearheaded by Republican-controlled states. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a new congressional map into law just hours before Missouri’s vote, redrawing five Democrat-controlled districts into Republican-leaning ones. Under the new Texas boundaries, three districts are now considered “safe Republican,” one “likely Republican,” and another “lean Republican,” according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Ohio is also preparing to move forward with a plan that could erase three Democratic seats, while Florida, Indiana, and South Carolina have begun laying the groundwork for their own mid-decade redistricting initiatives. Together, these moves could significantly alter the national political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Former President Donald Trump, who has been a vocal advocate for redistricting, celebrated Missouri’s vote. In a post on Truth Social, he applauded the state for joining Texas in the effort to counter what he calls a “census error” that unfairly inflated Democratic representation.
“The Great State of Missouri is now IN,” Trump wrote. “I’m not surprised. It is a great State with fabulous people. I won it, all 3 times, in a landslide. We’re going to win the Midterms in Missouri again, bigger and better than ever before!”
At the center of the Missouri debate is the state’s Fifth Congressional District, anchored in Kansas City. Currently represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, the district has long been a Democratic stronghold. However, the new map dismantles its boundaries in ways that fold Democratic voters into Republican-leaning districts, virtually ensuring a Republican takeover in 2026.
The move is viewed by many as a strategic masterstroke by Missouri Republicans, who have been eager to eliminate one of the last remaining Democratic footholds in the state. For Democrats, however, it represents an erosion of fair representation.
Civil rights groups and Democratic leaders have already signaled that legal challenges are likely. They argue that the new map dilutes the voices of urban and minority communities in Kansas City, effectively silencing voters who have historically supported Democratic candidates.
The Missouri House passed the new boundaries with relative ease, but the debate was contentious. Democrats accused the majority party of manipulating district lines for partisan gain, while Republicans insisted the changes were necessary to reflect demographic realities and correct errors from the last census.
The Missouri Senate is expected to take up the measure later this week, and given the chamber’s GOP majority, passage appears highly likely. If approved, the new map would go into effect for the next congressional election cycle.
Missouri and Texas are among the first states to pursue redistricting outside the traditional 10-year cycle. Normally, congressional boundaries are redrawn after each census to account for population changes. But in recent years, Republicans have argued that the 2020 census unfairly benefited Democrats by miscounting populations in key states.
This has provided the political and legal justification for what some are calling “mid-decade redistricting.” Critics, however, accuse the GOP of exploiting technicalities to entrench power. They warn that the practice could destabilize the redistricting process nationwide, setting a precedent for endless redraws whenever the political winds shift.
Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the U.S. House, and even a handful of flipped seats could determine control after the 2026 elections. By aggressively pursuing new maps in Missouri, Texas, Ohio, and other states, the GOP is positioning itself to maintain or even expand its advantage.
Democrats are alarmed by the strategy, seeing it as part of a coordinated campaign to undermine democratic norms. They argue that rather than responding to the will of the voters, Republicans are manipulating the system to pre-determine outcomes.
“This is not democracy, this is gerrymandering on steroids,” one Democratic strategist said.
Republicans counter that Democrats have pursued aggressive redistricting strategies in states where they control legislatures, such as New York and Illinois. To them, Missouri’s move is simply leveling the playing field.
For Governor Kehoe, the Missouri First Map represents more than just a redistricting plan—it is a political statement. By championing the map, he has aligned himself closely with Trump’s America-first movement and positioned Missouri as a model for other conservative states.
Kehoe’s framing of the issue in terms of “Missouri values” also underscores the cultural divide that has come to dominate American politics. His argument is that Missouri’s citizens deserve representation rooted in their own priorities, rather than what he portrays as the “extreme left” influence of coastal states.
Legal experts expect the Missouri map to face lawsuits, particularly from groups representing minority communities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits redistricting that intentionally diminishes the electoral power of racial or ethnic groups, and critics argue that the dismantling of Kansas City’s Democratic district does precisely that.
Courts have historically been reluctant to intervene in partisan gerrymandering cases, but they have struck down maps found to discriminate based on race. The question in Missouri may hinge on whether plaintiffs can prove racial intent, as opposed to partisan motivation, in the map’s design.
The Missouri Senate will likely pass the new map quickly, sending it to Governor Kehoe’s desk for final approval. If signed into law, it will go into effect for the 2026 midterms, dramatically reshaping Missouri’s political landscape.
Nationally, the move will intensify the battle over control of the U.S. House. With Texas, Missouri, and Ohio leading the charge, Republicans are on track to redraw as many as 10 Democratic seats into Republican ones. If successful, these efforts could prove decisive in a closely divided chamber.
Meanwhile, Democrats are expected to double down on legal challenges, grassroots mobilization, and efforts to push national legislation addressing gerrymandering. But with Congress deeply divided, significant reforms appear unlikely in the near term.
The Missouri First Map represents one of the most consequential political moves in the state’s recent history. By redrawing congressional boundaries to favor Republicans, Missouri joins a growing list of states where mid-decade redistricting is reshaping the national political map.
For Republicans, the decision is a necessary correction that ensures fair representation of Missouri’s conservative values. For Democrats, it is a blatant power grab that undermines democracy and silences communities.
Whichever interpretation prevails, one fact is clear: the battle over congressional maps has become one of the most important fronts in the fight for control of the U.S. House. Missouri’s vote is not just a local story but part of a national struggle that will define American politics for years to come.
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