Gov. Kehoe backs Hoskins as Missouri map battle shifts to appeals court

Key Points:

• Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins withdrew his enforcement of the controversial 'Missouri First' congressional map to avoid contempt of court, but the legal battle resumed when the 8th Circuit Court scheduled an emergency hearing for September 17.
• Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe expressed support for Hoskins despite the controversy and reaffirmed backing for the 2025 map as the fairest option for the November elections following the August primary.
• People Not Politicians, a group opposing the 2022 map, plans to continue legal challenges and may escalate the case to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend voter choice on election maps.
• Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson urged an end to the dispute, emphasizing the need to proceed with printing ballots and holding elections despite concerns about voters seeing different candidates in the general election than in the primary.
• UMKC Law Professor Allen Rostron noted that even if the 8th Circuit rules in favor of the 'Missouri First' map, the case is likely to return to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has previously ruled against the map, making a different outcome unlikely.