Missouri court blocks Trump-backed House map from being used in November

Key Points:

• The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocked new congressional districts backed by President Trump from being used in the November election and ordered a statewide vote to approve or reject the map, marking a rare setback for Republicans in redistricting efforts.
• The court ruled that the new districts, used in the August primaries, cannot be implemented in the general election unless voters first approve them via referendum, overturning the Republican Secretary of State’s earlier rejection of the petition for a vote.
• Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway vowed to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling the ruling an unprecedented violation of federal law and a constitutional crisis.
• The redistricting targeted Democrat Emanuel Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District by adding rural Republican areas, but the court’s decision maintains the existing district boundaries for the upcoming election.
• The ruling is part of a broader national mid-decade redistricting battle initiated by Trump to gain House seats, with Missouri’s court among the few to reject Republican-backed maps amid widespread legal challenges and public protests against gerrymandering.