Supreme Court blocks GOP map

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday evening blocked a federal appeals court directive that would have required Missouri to use a newly redrawn Republican-favored congressional map days before the November election.

Electoral chaos, the court said

The Supreme Court said ordering reversion to the twenty twenty-five map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos, with voting already underway in Missouri.

“At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos.”

The 2022 map stays in place

The court's decision preserves the status quo and the 2022 election map that Democrats and voter advocacy groups fought to defend throughout the legal battle.

Governor accepts the ruling

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican who championed the new redistricting, said he was disappointed but that the state would follow the court and use the 2022 map in the midterms.

“It is disappointing that today's decision by the United States Supreme Court means Missouri will conduct its November general election under a different congressional map than its primary election.”

What the maps mean for seats

Missouri's 2022 map has seven Republican-leaning and two Democratic-leaning seats. The 2025 map would have reduced Democratic-leaning seats to one, favoring Republicans significantly.

Months of confusion end

Legal battles over the 2025 map lasted months, creating confusion and anxiety for state election administrators and voters struggling to track their congressional district status and candidates.

Court bars future changes

The Supreme Court ordered that neither the District Court nor the Court of Appeals should enjoin the 2022 map or require Missouri to use the 2025 map in the 2026 congressional election.

“The District Court and Court of Appeals should not enjoin or otherwise prohibit the use of the 2022 map in the 2026 congressional election in Missouri.”