Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law on Sunday a new U.S. House map designed to strengthen Republican chances of holding onto a narrow majority in next year’s congressional elections. The redistricting plan, backed by President Donald Trump, aims to secure one additional Republican seat in Missouri but has already sparked legal and political challenges.
The newly approved map reshapes several districts, most notably that of Democratic U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver. By removing parts of his Kansas City constituency and extending it into more Republican-leaning rural areas, the plan significantly reduces the number of Black and minority voters in Cleaver’s district. Cleaver, who has represented the area for two decades and was Kansas City’s first Black mayor, denounced the plan for using Troost Avenue — a historical racial dividing line in the city — as one of its boundaries.
Governor Kehoe defended the map, saying it reflects Missouri’s “conservative, common-sense values” and will ensure stronger representation for those priorities in Washington. Republicans currently hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats.
The redistricting effort comes as part of a broader national trend. Following the 2020 census, several states have attempted mid-decade redraws for partisan advantage. Texas Republicans recently approved a map projected to deliver them five more seats, while Democrats in California advanced a counter-plan of their own that still requires voter approval.
Opposition to Missouri’s new map is mounting. Critics are gathering signatures for a referendum petition, which would suspend the law and send it to a statewide vote if they collect about 110,000 valid signatures by December 11. At the same time, multiple lawsuits have been filed. Voter groups argue Missouri’s constitution does not permit mid-decade redistricting, while the NAACP contends there was no “extraordinary occasion” justifying the governor’s special legislative session. The American Civil Liberties Union has also challenged the map, claiming it violates requirements for compactness and equal population, pointing to a Kansas City precinct mistakenly listed in two separate districts as evidence of procedural flaws.
Despite the pushback, the governor’s office has dismissed allegations of errors and maintains that the new map complies with state law. With Democrats needing just three additional seats nationally to retake control of the U.S. House, Missouri’s redistricting battle underscores the high stakes for both parties heading into the 2026 elections.