JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers are gathering for a special session focused on redrawing the state’s U.S. House districts, a move tied to President Donald Trump’s efforts to fortify Republican interests ahead of the upcoming elections.
The session, called by Republican Governor Mike Kehoe, is set to start at noon on Wednesday and is expected to last at least a week.
Missouri becomes the third state this year pursuing mid-decade redistricting aimed at gaining partisan advantage. Following Missouri’s initiative, Republican-led Texas was the first state to begin redistricting under a new map that seeks to help the GOP increase its congressional seat count by five.
In a swift retort, Democratic-led California also initiated a redistricting plan that may enable the party to claim five more seats, although this proposal awaits voter approval in an election scheduled on November 4.
As redistricting activities unfold across states, further developments are anticipated.
On a national scale, Democrats need to gain three additional seats in the upcoming election to reclaim control of the House. Traditionally, the party holding the presidency tends to lose seats during midterm congressional elections.
Redistricting generally occurs at the beginning of each decade when the Census Bureau compiles population data to allocate the 435 U.S. House seats. This process can result in states gaining or losing seats based on population changes, with some states experiencing growth while others see stagnation or decline.
While there are state-level restrictions on redistricting, no national legislation prevents states from altering boundaries mid-decade.
Various states handle congressional redistricting differently; it’s typically managed by state lawmakers and requires the governor’s approval. Certain states employ special commissions for this purpose.
The concept of gerrymandering refers to when a ruling political party manipulates district boundaries to gain electoral advantages. This often involves tactics such as packing supporters of the opposing party into a limited number of districts or dispersing them across multiple districts to weaken their overall voting power.
A significant ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 clarified that federal courts cannot adjudicate cases of partisan gerrymandering, but state courts are still permitted to rule on such matters based on their laws.
In terms of potential changes in Missouri’s House representation, the state currently has a delegation of six Republicans and two Democrats. Governor Kehoe has proposed a revised map that may enable Republicans to capture seven seats in the upcoming 2026 elections.
The proposed adjustments particularly target a Kansas City district held by Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver. The plan would stretch Cleaver’s district into more Republican-leaning rural territories while also reconfiguring other segments of the district to be integrated into heavily Republican districts represented by GOP members.
In the St. Louis region, changes will also occur, though the modifications to the district of Democratic Representative Wesley Bell are expected to be less significant.
Initially, Republican lawmakers contemplated creating a 7-1 map during the original district drawings post-2020 census. However, this plan was abandoned due to concerns about potential legal challenges and the risk of crafting overly competitive districts that could result in Democrats securing up to three seats during unfavorable election cycles.
Other states may soon engage in similar redistricting battles. In Ohio, mandated mid-decade redistricting will take place following the Republicans’ lack of bipartisan support for their congressional maps, potentially aiding their current 10-5 majority.
Additionally, a court in Utah directed the Republican-led Legislature to establish new congressional districts after ruling that lawmakers had bypassed an independent redistricting commission created by voters. This change may favor Democrats, as all four of Utah’s congressional seats are currently held by Republicans.
States led by Republicans, such as Indiana and Florida, are also contemplating redistricting efforts at Trump’s urging, while Democratic states like Illinois, Maryland, and New York have discussed countering Republican strategies with revised maps of their own.
In Missouri, the agenda for the special session also includes proposed amendments to the state’s ballot measure process.
A notable proposed change would raise the bar for ballot initiatives to succeed; if approved, Missouri’s constitution would require that future measures not only secure a majority of statewide votes but also receive majority support from each congressional district to be passed.
Had this requirement been in place during the last election cycle, an important abortion-rights amendment to the state constitution would not have successfully passed. While the amendment did achieve a narrow victory statewide, it relied heavily on support from the Kansas City and St. Louis areas and ultimately faltered in more rural districts.
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