Supreme Court blocks Missouri’s attempt to use newly drawn GOP congressional map

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked an attempt by a Republican state official in Missouri to use a newly drawn GOP congressional map for this year’s elections.

The court, in a brief order with no noted dissents, granted an emergency request brought by a group called People Not Politicians, led by activist Richard von Glahn.

The decision puts on hold a decision by Missouri-based U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark, who ruled on Tuesday that the new map must be used, notwithstanding the Missouri Supreme Court reaching the opposite conclusion.

The swift action from the justices likely signals the end of the battle over which congressional map to use in the midterm elections this November, with the state likely to use the previous map from 2022 that includes six seats currently held by Republicans and two held by Democrats.

The new map sought to eliminate one of the state’s two Democratic-held seats, currently held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.

“The law is the law, the Missouri constitution is clear, as was the Missouri Supreme Court,” von Glahn said in a statement.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican who led the effort to use the new map, “has shown that he cannot effectively do the job he was elected to do,” he added.

Hoskins’ lawyers told the U.S. Supreme Court justices just minutes before the decision was issued that only Clark’s order is “preventing the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of voters” who participated in the primary election using the new congressional map.

With little time before the November election, it is the only way that Missouri can “conduct congressional elections that comply with the federal election calendar,” they added.

The Trump administration also filed a brief backing Hoskins, saying that if the justices were to block Clark’s ruling, it would “jeopardize state officials’ ability to conduct a timely and lawful federal election.”

This is the second time the underlying fight has reached the U.S. Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected a request from Hoskins seeking to block the Missouri Supreme Court ruling.

In a separate hearing on Thursday, the Missouri Supreme Court gave Hoskins a cool reception as it considers whether to hold him in contempt for defying its previous ruling.

With Hoskins appearing in person, the judges peppered his lawyer with questions about whether he will now comply and use the 2022 map. They seemed dissatisfied with some of the responses.

William Seidleck, a lawyer with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office representing Hoskins, said his client would comply with the state court order requiring use of the 2022 map “unless and until” there is an intervening federal court decision. Hoskins is still “evaluating next steps,” he added.

Chief Justice Brent Powell told Hoskins not to “venture far from Jefferson City” while the court considers the contempt motion. He also pressed Hoskins to issue updated guidance to local election officials.

“We just want to make sure the law is followed,” Powell added.

Among his concerns is that if the legal fight continues, it could lead to ongoing issues after the election over whether the congressional delegation should be seated.

“We are in a precarious situation,” Powell said.

The broader clash is over a congressional map Missouri Republicans enacted in 2025, part of a nationwide redistricting push led by President Donald Trump.

The legal fight began when opponents of the new map gathered signatures in support of a state referendum that would undo the GOP-drawn map and put it on hold for the 2026 election.

But Hoskins delayed a decision on whether to include the measure on the ballot, waiting to the last minute before rejecting the plan, arguing that redistricting plans are not subject to voters’ approval.

The Missouri Supreme Court, which has a majority of Republican appointees, disagreed, saying there was nothing in state law that exempted congressional maps passed by the Legislature from being vetoed by voters via the referendum process.

The federal lawsuit was filed by Rick Brattin, the Republican nominee in the district currently held by Cleaver, as well as Rep. Bob Onder, R-Mo. and two voters. Clark then ruled Tuesday that the state must use the map that people voted in during the primary.

The drama was playing out even after Tuesday’s deadline to finalize Missouri ballots ahead of this fall’s elections. First ballots are set to go out in the state on Sept. 19.