Supreme Court blocks Trump-backed Missouri congressional map for third time

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected, for the third time, an attempt to put Missouri’s Republican-backed congressional map into effect for the November 2026 midterm elections.

The justices’ decision on Friday leaves in place Missouri’s 2022 congressional district boundaries for the Nov. 3 general election, ending the latest attempt to revive a map that was drawn in 2025 with the backing of President Donald Trump and Missouri Republicans.

The dispute centers on a new map that substantially reshaped Missouri’s congressional districts, particularly the Kansas City-based 5th District represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Republicans had sought to use the revised boundaries in the general election as part of a broader effort to gain an additional seat in the U.S. House.

Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight House seats. Under the 2025 map, Republican lawmakers sought boundaries that could give the party a path to winning seven of the state’s eight congressional districts. The changes also moved large numbers of voters between districts.

The legal battle intensified after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 3 that a referendum petition challenging the new map was valid. The state court ordered officials to use the 2022 map unless voters approve the 2025 boundaries in a statewide referendum.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Sept. 8 to overturn that decision. Two days later, it also blocked a federal district court order that would have allowed the new map to be used.

The dispute returned to the nation’s highest court after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Sept. 21 in favor of using the 2025 map. The appeals court said changing district boundaries between the primary and general elections raised constitutional concerns, but paused its ruling to give the Supreme Court time to consider an appeal.

On Friday, however, the Supreme Court halted that ruling and allowed the 2022 districts to remain in effect.

In an unsigned order issued without recorded dissents, the justices said the election process had already begun and that changing the map at this stage could create significant disruption. CBS News reported that ballots using the 2022 boundaries had already been printed and mailed, while absentee voting had begun.

The decision means Missouri voters will use the same congressional district boundaries that were in place for the 2022 and 2024 elections during the November general election.

The 2025 map will nevertheless appear before voters as part of a statewide referendum scheduled for November. Under the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling, the new boundaries cannot take effect unless voters approve them.

The case has become one of the most closely watched redistricting disputes ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterms, with the outcome potentially affecting the composition of Missouri’s congressional delegation.