Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Friday filed an emergency appeal urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the new congressional map backed by President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders to be used in November's midterm election. The appeal comes after Missouri's high court blocked the redistricting map and ordered a statewide vote in November on whether to keep it.
Supreme Court to halt the state high court's decision immediately. "We have just appealed yesterday's catastrophic ruling to the Supreme Court of the United States. We look forward to the Court's prompt review of this critical matter, as our ability to hold timely and lawful congressional elections hangs in the balance," Hanaway, a Republican, said in a statement.
MISSOURI HIGH COURT BLOCKS GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS; TRUMP BLASTS 'RIDICULOUS' RULING State law sets a Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who hears appeals of cases from the region and can decide alone or refer to the full court, asked opponents of the new map to respond to the appeal by Monday. The Missouri high court ruling on Thursday was among the latest rulings in a national redistricting battle backed by Trump.
The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House majority. The state Supreme Court ruled that the referendum petition, filed in December after opponents submitted more than 300,000 signatures, prevented the new districts from taking effect unless approved by voters. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary Election Day last month to reject the petition, arguing that Missouri's constitution does not allow referendum petitions on congressional redistricting.
A lower court sided with Hoskins, but the state Supreme Court overturned his decision. "The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise," the court said in its ruling. The measure with the new districts "did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters." Missouri’s new districts were used in the primaries last month, but the state Supreme Court said they cannot be used again unless voters first uphold the new districts passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov.
Mike Kehoe last September. Now, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census "remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election," the court said. Five of the seven current justices on the Missouri Supreme Court, including the chief justice, were appointed by Republican governors.
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