Missouri Voters Sue Denny Hoskins for $80 Million

Five voters from St. Louis City and County filed a class-action lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court against Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, seeking approximately $80 million in damages. The plaintiffs allege Hoskins violated state law and constitutional rights by refusing to certify a referendum petition challenging the 2025 congressional map, which was endorsed by Donald Trump. The petition, launched by People Not Politicians, garnered 162,171 verified signatures.

The lawsuit claims Hoskins ignored an order from the Supreme Court of Missouri to use the 2022 congressional map for the November midterms, instead directing election authorities to use the 2025 version. Chief Justice Brent Powell subsequently found Hoskins in contempt of court, though no punishment was imposed after Hoskins reversed course. Hoskins had argued that using different maps for primary and general elections would "create chaos," but the state's highest court attributed that chaos to his own lack of diligence.

Following a U.S. Supreme Court action that stayed a conflicting federal order, the November election will proceed using the 2022 map, and the 2025 map will be placed on the ballot for voter approval. The current lawsuit, assigned to Judge Cotton Walker, seeks the maximum statutory penalty of $500 for each of the 162,000 voters who signed the petition.