Missouri passes Trump-backed redistricting plan to help the GOP in the midterms

Missouri lawmakers have answered President Trump’s call to help maintain the Republican majority in Congress by redrawing the state’s voting map for the midterm election next year. The state Senate voted 21 to 11 to pass a map that would help a Republican candidate win a seat currently held by a Democrat.

The move is part of a nationwide race prompted by Trump’s call on Republicans to make more winnable voting maps. Usually, states redraw their district maps early in the decade after the national census shows how many House seats each state has.

The map now goes to be signed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who unveiled the plan last month and called it a “Missouri First” map that reflects the state’s conservative values. Opponents have vowed to block it in court or with a public referendum.

Missouri Republicans have said the redistricting is aimed at preventing Democrats from retaking the U.S. House next year. And they contend that since the state commonly elects Republicans to statewide and state legislative posts, a map with seven Republican-leaning seats and one strongly Democratic district reflects political reality. Currently, the Missouri House seats include six Republicans and two Democrats.

“We can sit here and give all the political theater that we want. The question is, are we actually representing the constituency of Missouri with our congressional delegation?” Republican State Sen. Rick Brattin, who represents Kansas City suburbs, said this week. “A seven-to-one map does that.”

Senate Democrats said the redistricting push is illegal contending, among other things, that Missouri’s constitution doesn’t authorize redrawing lines in the middle of the decade. They say it dilutes the power of Black voters around Kansas City and they criticized Republicans for succumbing to Trump’s pressure after rejecting going after Cleaver in 2022.

“We’re no longer the Show Me State,” said state Sen. Stephen Webber, of Columbia. “We’re the ‘Yes Sir State.'”

Thousands of activists protested against the plan at the capitol on Wednesday. They have vowed to block it in court or possibly by gathering signatures to put the plan up to a statewide vote. They could have about 90 days to gather the 106,000 signatures needed.

Missouri is the latest state to move to redistrict and more could come. President Trump, saying it’s vital to his agenda that Republicans keep their control in Congress, called on Texas in July to draw districts that give the GOP an edge in winning five more seats. The Legislature there approved the plan last month.

Trump has called on leaders in Missouri, Indiana and Florida to redistrict to provide more possible Republican wins.

Democratic leaders in California have countered Texas by drawing maps that would help Democrats win five more seats in that state, but the proposal is pending approval from voters in an election Nov. 4. Leaders in Illinois and Maryland have not ruled out drawing new seats to help Democrats there.

Jason Rosenbaum covers politics for St. Louis Public Radio.