Missouri congressional map 2026: 2022 lines will govern November vote
Missouri will use its 2022 House districts in November after a state-court ruling survived an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Missouri’s congressional map 2026 fight has a clear immediate result: voters will elect U.S. House members in November using the districts drawn after the 2020 census, not the Republican-backed map passed in 2025.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh declined Missouri Republicans’ emergency request to pause a unanimous Missouri Supreme Court ruling, NBC News reported. That leaves the state court’s order in force while voters also decide whether to approve the newer map.
Which Missouri congressional map will be used in November 2026?
The 2022 map will govern the November general election. It currently produces a delegation with six Republican-held House seats and two Democratic-held seats, according to NBC News and the Associated Press.
The 2025 plan cannot take effect unless Missouri voters approve it in the November referendum. The Missouri Supreme Court’s order says the plan would take effect 30 days after voter approval, the Missouri Independent reported.
Redistricting sets the geographic boundaries of congressional districts. Missouri’s coming ballot question concerns whether the Legislature’s 2025 boundaries should become state law, while the older map sets the lines for this year’s general election.
How the court fight landed here
The Republican-led Legislature enacted the new map in 2025. People Not Politicians Missouri then submitted more than 300,000 signatures in December for a referendum seeking to overturn the plan, according to the Missouri Independent and AP.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, rejected the petition, arguing that congressional redistricting could not be challenged through the state referendum process. A lower court agreed with him.
The Missouri Supreme Court reversed that result unanimously. It held that the Missouri Constitution’s referendum provision covering “any act” of the General Assembly also covers congressional-redistricting legislation, and it found the petition legal, sufficient and timely, AP reported.
The ruling barred the 2025 map from the November general election. It also did not undo the August primary, which was conducted under the newer boundaries; the state court did not invalidate the primary results or decertify its winners, according to the Missouri Independent.
Why the 2025 redraw is politically important
The 2025 map was intended to make the Kansas City-based 5th District, held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, more favorable to Republicans, NBC News reported. AP said the redesign stretched the district eastward into rural Republican territory and that about 59% of its voters were new under the revised lines.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway sought the emergency stay from the U.S. Supreme Court after the state ruling, calling the decision a constitutional crisis. Following Kavanaugh’s denial, her office said it was disappointed and was evaluating next steps as related litigation continues, FOX4 reported.
For now, the two tracks are separate: Missouri’s November House contests proceed on the 2022 lines, and the statewide referendum will determine whether the 2025 map gets a future.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.