Missouri High Court Smacks Down Redistricting

We’ve received some big news out of the Show-Me State on Tuesday with Missouri’s Supreme Court ruling in not one, but two redistricting-related instances — in both situations issuing a choice that successfully locks in place the current 7R-1D map (HB 1, handed by the state legislature in September 2025) for the 2026 midterm elections. 

The Missouri Supreme Court guidelines the new 7R-1D map would not violate the state structure and will likely be in place for the 2026 midterms. pic.twitter.com/2NZFLP4PLk

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) May 12, 2026

The court heard oral argument in both instances on Tuesday morning and issued unanimous selections in both instances on Tuesday afternoon, making it clear that courts will not be political map-drawing commissions — and that referendum activists don’t get to droop legal guidelines merely by dropping packing containers of signatures at the secretary of state’s workplace. 

Here’s what was determined today: 

First, in the consolidated instances of Healey v. Missouri and Wise v. Missouri, the challengers sought to have the 2025 map declared unconstitutional on the premise that it violated the compactness requirement of Article III, Section 45 of the state’s structure. Specifically, they contended that the new configuration of the state’s 4th, fifth, and sixth Districts (in and around the Kansas City space) violates the requirement. 

Old map for comparability: https://t.co/M6xgfaftyR pic.twitter.com/NFIWZljjCP

— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) May 12, 2026

But as the court notes in its choice: 

The map “is assumed to be constitutional and will not be held unconstitutional unless the plaintiff proves that it clearly and undoubtedly contravenes the constitution.” 

And as the court additional explains:

Courts are tasked with deciding only the legality, not the prudence, of a congressional district map. No matter how unpopular or celebrated a congressional map could also be, the judiciary’s responsibility is restricted to figuring out only whether or not the drawn districts are “contiguous territory as compact and as nearly equal in population as may be.” Mo. Const.artwork. III, sec. 45.

Second, in the case styled Maggard v. Missouri, the challengers contended that their submitting of a referendum petition (relating to the state’s congressional map) in December of 2025 mechanically suspended HB 1, even though the signature verification course of will not be full. In holding in any other case, the court rightly notes why tying the suspension to the mere submitting of the petition versus the finished verification course of will not fly: 

Under Appellants’ argument, the suspension is computerized, regardless of whether or not the packing containers contained petitions consisting only of invalid signatures, signatures of unregistered voters, or even clean items of paper. Appellants’ argument would allow laws really agreed to and finally handed by a majority of Missouri residents’ elected representatives to be mechanically suspended based on nothing more than the supply of packing containers purporting to include signed referendum petitions complying with article III, part 52(a).

Now, this is the kicker on this second case: The deadline for signature verification is August 4, 2026 — which also occurs to be the date of Missouri’s main. In principle, if the referendum petition is finally licensed adequate, the suspension would “relate back” to Dec. 9, 2025 (before HB 1 took impact). But the court (correctly, in my view) sidesteps that issue for now. 

What’s clear is that the mere submitting of the referendum petition didn’t droop HB 1 from taking impact, and the 2026 midterms will likely be ruled by the 2025 map. From a sensible standpoint, that means that Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who is 81 and has represented Missouri’s fifth Congressional District since 2005, will possible be wanting at retirement come January. 

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will decide the destiny of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must keep control of both chambers of Congress.

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