Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected an effort to put a GOP-leaning congressional map on the November ballot.
The expected move from the Republican official Tuesday sets up a court battle that could have massive implications for Missouri's 2026 election cycle.
After Missouri lawmakers passed a congressional map in 2025 seeking to oust Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, a group, People Not Politicians, started a campaign to place the plan up for a November 2026 vote. The group turned in more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
But Hoskins said Tuesday he rejected the referendum because he doesn't believe that redistricting plans are subject to the referendum process.
"At issue is not the number of signatures turned into the challenge, the new congressional map, but the fact that the referendum itself is null and void by virtue of the fact that it is unconstitutional," Hoskins said on Tuesday.
Hoskins also announced that he was rejecting a proposal known as Respect Missouri Voters, which would make it more difficult for the legislature to overturn voter-approved initiatives. He contends that it violates prohibitions against multiple-subject proposals.
Hoskins' decision is not a surprise. He indicated in May that he might reject People Not Politicians' referendum plan.
"It does not make sense that I have until August 4 of this year to certify those signatures as being sufficient or insufficient, when that's the same day as the primary," he said during a May press conference in Jefferson City. "So, I do have some constitutionality concerns that, hey, the referendum was never meant for congressional redistricting."
Both groups, People Not Politicians and Respect Missouri Voters, are now expected to take Hoskins to court over the decision. In fact, People Not Politicians announced immediately that they will sue over the decision.
"Secretary of State Hoskins is making a last desperate attempt to silence the people's voice in Missouri," said People Not Politicians' Richard von Glahn in a statement. "We've fought back against politicians for the last year, and we won't stop now. There are more than enough signatures, verified by election authorities, to qualify the referendum. Courts have consistently held that Congressional redistricting is subject to state constitutional provisions, including the right to a referendum. People will have the final say in November, and the chance to vote no to politicians' desperate power grabs."
It is not uncommon in Missouri for a secretary of state to reject a particular ballot initiative from going before voters, usually due to insufficient signatures. Plaintiffs start the process at the Cole County Court, with the final decision coming from the Missouri Supreme Court. The judicial branch will have until Sept. 8 to decide whether to order the referendum on the ballot.
Based on the Missouri Constitution, any legislation that's successfully targeted for referendum is suspended. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in May that if the redistricting referendum qualifies for the ballot, the 2025 map will have been suspended as of December 2025.
Enormous stakes
Hoskins told St. Louis Public Radio earlier this year that courts would likely hold off on reinstituting congressional lines that lawmakers approved in 2022. But if Hoskins is wrong, it could spark a chaotic last stretch of the 2026 election cycle.
If the map was never in effect for the primary election, then courts could potentially order new elections in six of the state's eight congressional districts. The new map made no changes to the 7th and 8th districts.
"Administratively there really isn't anything preventing election officials from running a pretty quick turnaround ballot," said Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon in June. "I think our concerns are going to be who's going to pay for it? Is there a mechanism for the counties to be reimbursed by the state?"
Lennon also said another concern is that election officials take up to two weeks to certify the results of an election and Hoskins' office has another two weeks to finalize the results.
"There is a timing issue of when that final August election is certified," Lennon said. "They have until the end of August to do that. That's going to severely limit the amount of time we have between the two elections in August and November, just because we have a later primary."
From a political standpoint, having the 2022 map in effect would foil national Republican plans to oust Cleaver. The older version of the 5th District is safely Democratic, while the new version leans toward Republicans.
It would also mean that Congresswoman Ann Wagner would be running in a more Democratic 2nd district, while Congressman Bob Onder would be in a more GOP-leaning seat in the 3rd. And the Republican that emerges from the 6th District contest that stretches across the northern part of the state would have an easier time winning in the old district than the one lawmakers passed in 2025.
This story will be updated
Copyright 2026 St. Louis Public Radio
