Far-left efforts to overturn a Trump-backed, Republican-drawn congressional redistricting map in Missouri have been repeatedly smacked down in federal courts as midterm elections draw closer.
Democrats and left-wing activists have tried numerous legal routes to defeat the map, which was passed by the GOP-dominated state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mike Kehoe (R-MO) last September before going into effect in December. The bill, called HB1, codified new district lines that could net House Republicans an additional seat in what is expected to be a tight election season.
Missouri has six Republicans and two Democrats in the House of Representatives. Under the new map, Kansas City is split into three, instead of the current two districts, making Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) 5th Congressional District much more difficult for Democrats to keep.
So far, four different cases filed by left-wing activists have failed to scrap the map.
The most recent devastating defeat for Democrats was in Maggard v. Missouri. The lawsuit was brought against the State of Missouri by ACLU of Missouri on behalf of People Not Politicians, a group behind a proposed referendum that would allow voters to overturn the GOP-drawn map.
The activists argued that submitting signatures to the state for the proposed referendum should prevent the new map from going into effect. However, in a final judgment on March 27, the Cole County Circuit Court ruled in favor of Missouri on all counts, allowing the map to remain in place.
“Even if this Court were to grant Plaintiffs’ requested relief, the referendum could still fail for lack of sufficient signatures, rendering Plaintiffs’ alleged injury speculative. Until the question of sufficiency is resolved, Plaintiffs’ claimed injury depends on contingencies that may never occur,” Cole County Judge Brian Stumpe wrote.
Put Missouri First, a GOP-backed political action committee (PAC) created to defend the Republican-drawn congressional map and counteract the referendum campaign, told Breitbart News the ruling is “another decisive victory for the rule of law and a clear rejection of a baseless political challenge.”
“The court confirmed what we’ve said all along: the Missouri First map is in effect and remains the law of the land. It’s time for the Left to stop the games, accept reality, and move on,” the PAC continued.
ACLU of Missouri slammed the decision and vowed to swiftly appeal, a local NPR outlet reported.
On March 24, just three days before, the Missouri Supreme Court concluded 4-3 in Luther v. Hoskins that the Missouri Constitution does not limit the General Assembly’s power to redistrict mid-decade. Merrie Suzanne Luther and other Missouri voters sued the state, arguing that it is unlawful for the state to authorize congressional redistricting more than once per decade.
“The circuit court correctly concluded article III, section 45 of the Missouri Constitution does not limit the General Assembly’s plenary legislative power to enact HB 1. The judgment is affirmed,” the state’s high court wrote in its opinion.
On March 12, the Jackson County Circuit Court also sided with Missouri in Wise v. Missouri, a case brought by ACLU, ACLU of Missouri, and Campaign Legal Center on behalf of Kansas City voters who claimed to be harmed by the new district lines.
In an order and judgment, the court held that the map complies with the state Constitution’s compactness requirement and equal population requirements.
“Guided by these standards and after careful consideration of the evidence presented at trial, Plaintiffs failed to meet the heavy burden required under Missouri law. This Court finds and concludes Plaintiffs failed to prove clearly and undoubtedly that the 2025 Plan was not as compact as may be,” Circuit Judge Adam Caine ruled. “This Court finds that the 2025 Plan complies with the constitutional mandate that Missouri’s congressional districts be divided into ‘contiguous territory as compact and as nearly equal in population as may be.’ Accordingly, this Court will respect the political determinations of the General Assembly and it denies the Plaintiffs’ requested relief.”
On February 15, the Cole County Circuit Court also issued a judgment upholding the governor’s authority to call a special session for redistricting and initiative petition reform in NAACP v. Missouri. The NAACP had argued that Kehoe did not have the constitutional authority to proclaim the September 2025 extraordinary session of the General Assembly, which would invalidate HB1 and the new map.
“As long as the basic requirements for the proclamation are met, the governor has the constitutional discretion to decide whether an extraordinary occasion exists, to decide whether or not to proclaim an extraordinary session of the legislature, and then to decide what action is deemed necessary to address it,” Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh wrote.
“Because the governor has the constitutional discretion to decide what constitutes an extraordinary occasion, this court denies plaintiffs’ claims for relief. All other pending matters, motions, and claims for relief are hereby denied,” he continued.
In a comment to Breitbart News, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway lauded her office’s repeated victory over left-wing activists looking to “derail” the new map.
“The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has defeated every left-wing attempt to derail the will of the people’s elected representatives,” Hanaway said. “The Courts have affirmed that the Missouri FIRST map is lawful, constitutional, and in effect.”
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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