Missouri Supreme Court blocks Trump-backed map, reinstates previous congressional districts

The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously blocked a congressional map backed by former President Donald Trump, restoring the state's previous districts ahead of the November midterm elections. The ruling, issued on Thursday, marks a significant setback for Trump in the ongoing national debate over redistricting.

This decision comes amid a wave of backlash from Missouri residents against the new map, which was enacted in September 2025 and aimed to secure an additional Republican seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Nearly 300,000 residents signed a petition seeking to put the map to a vote, prompting a legal challenge when the state’s Secretary of State, Denny Hoskins, deemed the petition insufficient. The Supreme Court found otherwise, emphasizing that the petition was legal and timely under Missouri's constitution.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, has vowed to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, describing it as a “full-fledged constitutional crisis.” She pointed out that it is unprecedented for a court to overturn a congressional map after primaries and before a general election. Trump's response was similarly critical, labeling the court's decision as "horrible" and "unconstitutional," and dismissing the restoration of the old map as “ancient history.”

As the midterm elections approach, Missouri faces uncertainty regarding its congressional districts. With ballots needing to be printed soon, questions arise about whether the state can use different districts for its primary and general elections. The ruling adds complexity to the broader redistricting efforts that have been influenced by Trump and his allies, as several states have undertaken similar partisan changes to their maps in recent years, often favoring Republicans.