Missouri judge rules against referendum challenge to GOP redistricting
by Darryl Coote · UPIAug. 19 (UPI) -- A Missouri judge ruled Wednesday against voters seeking to put a Republican redistricting effort in the state to a referendum, stating that the new GOP-favored maps can be used in November's midterm elections.
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green ruled that referendum provisions in the state's constitution do not apply to congressional redistricting.
"The Missouri Constitution does not supply any statement -- let alone a clear one -- reallocating authority over congressional redistricting away from the General Assembly to a referendum process," Green wrote in his ruling.
The People Not Politicians coalition that filed the lawsuit told UPI in an emailed statement that what was important was that a ruling had been made, while accusing the Republicans of stalling the litigation process and stating that the case can now move forward toward the Missouri Supreme Court.
"The most important thing that happened today is that there was a ruling," PNP Executive Director Richard von Glahn said.
"The state has tried to slow down the judicial process for months and now that we are out of Cole County, the real decision will be made. Our case now moves forward."
Missouri Republicans spearheaded efforts to redraw the state's congressional map last summer as part of President Donald Trump's push for GOP-led states to create more GOP-favored seats for November's midterm elections.
The map, signed into law in September, redraws a Democrat-held district in Kansas City to be more rural, positioning it to lean more favorably toward Republicans. Of the state's eight House seats, two are currently held by Democrats. The redraw is expected to reduce that to one.
Voters have challenged the redistricting effort. In December, PNP submitted more than 300,000 signatures to Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, to trigger a statewide referendum on the issue. While PNP contended that delivering the signatures would pause use of the new map, Hoskins disagreed.
In May, the state Supreme Court upheld the new map, while rejecting an argument that submitting referendum petitions automatically suspended the map.
On the day of the Aug. 4 primary, Hoskins issued a certificate finding PNP's referendum petition was insufficient, stating the state's Constitution does not permit referenda on congressional maps, prompting PNP to file a lawsuit that evening.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, celebrated Wednesday's decision in a social media statement, calling Green's decision a "quick, common-sense ruling."
"Missourians voted for candidates using this map in August, and they deserve the ability to elect those candidates in November," he said.
The Republican Party also cheered it as a "resounding victory for Missouri voters and election integrity."
"The court rejected Democrats' latest scheme to overturn lawful congressional maps and create chaos ahead of the election. Missouri's maps were fairly enacted by the legislature, upheld in court and used in this year's primary. Today's ruling makes clear those maps will stand," Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement.
The nationwide GOP effort to redraw maps comes as Trump has repeatedly voiced concern about potential impeachment proceedings if Republicans lose the House in November. Creating additional Republican-leaning seats increases the GOP's chances of maintaining control of the chamber, making impeachment less likely while strengthening the Republicans' ability to advance Trump's agenda.
Texas was the first state to move on mid-decade redistricting, kicking off a gerrymandering arms race in which Democratic-led states sought to counter with their own maps and Republican-led states responded with additional redraws.
Since summer 2025, 17 statesMike Kehoe have moved to redistrict, with 10 states having changed their maps, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Of those 10 states, eight adopted GOP-favored maps while two adopted maps expected to benefit Democrats.
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