Missouri Supreme Court Blocks Trump-Backed House Map; Maryland Puts Democratic Measure on the Ballot

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled 7–0 on Thursday that the Republican-drawn congressional map passed in 2025 cannot be used on Nov. 3 and must go to a statewide referendum. Judge Ginger K. Gooch wrote that Article III, Section 49 of the state constitution lets voters approve or reject “any act of the general assembly,” including House Bill 1. “The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise.” The 2022 districts “remain in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election.” HB 1 takes effect only if voters approve it and then only 30 days later. The court reversed Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green, who had said referenda do not apply to congressional maps, and ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to certify petition 2026-R004 by Sept. 8. Five of the seven justices were appointed by Republicans.

The 2025 map, drawn after President Trump pressed GOP states to add seats, was designed to move Missouri from 6–2 Republican to 7–1 by splitting Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City district. Primaries in August were held on the new lines. Opponents filed more than 300,000 signatures in December. Hoskins rejected the petition on primary day, arguing congressional redistricting is exempt. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said she will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and called the ruling a “constitutional crisis.” Trump wrote on Truth Social that the court “just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago,” called the decision “horrible, ridiculous and unConstitutional,” and said there is not enough time to switch maps before November. “This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!” The general election will now be run on 2022 lines unless a federal court reverses the order, which would leave Cleaver’s seat on its prior Democratic-leaning map.

The same day, Maryland’s Supreme Court allowed Question 3 onto the November ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment would say compactness and geographic-boundary rules apply to state legislative maps, not congressional districts — a change Democrats say would clear a path to redraw for 2028 after a 2022 court struck down an 8–0 map as an extreme gerrymander. Democrats already hold seven of eight House seats. The amendment would not change 2026 lines. Lower courts had blocked the question as late and misleading. The high court kept it on the ballot but ordered the Board of Elections to rewrite the summary. Gov. Wes Moore called the ruling a “massive victory.” Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk said “Marylanders will have their say.” Some justices dissented that the measure would weaken compactness protections in the state Declaration of Rights. Maryland voters will decide the amendment on Nov. 3; Missouri voters will decide HB 1 on the same day while voting for Congress under the 2022 map.