Supreme Court Blocks Missouri's 2025 Republican Congressional Map

The Supreme Court of the United States blocked Missouri from using a 2025 congressional map redrawn to benefit Republicans in the upcoming November general election. In an unsigned decision, the justices ordered the state to revert to a 2022 map, warning that changing course so close to the election would cause electoral chaos because absentee, military, and overseas ballots have already been mailed.

This ruling marks the third time this month the high court has intervened in the dispute. The decision effectively rebukes the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which had previously ruled that the 2025 map should be used to avoid voter confusion. The 2025 map was adopted by the state legislature at the request of Donald Trump and specifically sought to unseat Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver by dividing Kansas City into several districts.

The court also criticized Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for proceeding with the 2025 map for the August primary despite known legal risks. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway had urged the court to affirm the appeals court ruling in favor of the 2025 map, while the group People Not Politicians Missouri led the legal fight against the redistricting effort.