redistricting

A judge ruled that the Republican-leaning “Missouri First” congressional map will be in effect for the November election. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit to stop a referendum effort, claiming that voters don't have the power to overturn the map.

The Tarkio Republican is the latest GOP House incumbent to end a reelection campaign. Under Missouri's new congressional map, there's a lot more of Kansas City included in the 6th District, although it still heavily favors Republicans.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway told KCUR’s Up To Date that she believes Missouri voters don’t have the authority to block the newly drawn congressional map through a referendum. “I think we know for 2026 what the congressional districts are,” Hanaway said. Legal challenges are still underway.

Candidates are filing to represent Kansas City with a run for Missouri's 4th, 5th and 6th districts under a redrawn congressional map. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas won't be among them.

What does “when” mean? The definition became a key part of a ruling that impacts the 2026 election by allowing new Republican-favoring congressional districts to stand.

Cole County Judge Brian Stumpe ruled that the plaintiffs in the case did not have standing to file suit.

Missouri's highest court ruled 4-3 that lawmakers were allowed to undergo mid-decade redistricting. But that does not necessarily mean the map passed last year will be in place for the 2026 election, as opponents continue to pursue a referendum.

Cole County Judge Brian Stumpe removed some of Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' phrases describing the old and new redistricting plans — calling them argumentative and "likely to create prejudice."

Missouri's secretary of state is only checking about 200,000 of the 300,000 signatures that were submitted to force a statewide vote on the gerrymandered congressional map. Referendum organizers are less than 200 signatures short of qualifying for the ballot, but want all signatures reviewed.

The Republican-drawn congressional map divides Kansas City into three districts, and lumps the urban core with rural communities 200 miles away. While the map was upheld by a Jackson County judge, multiple other lawsuits against Missouri's mid-decade redistricting have yet to be decided.

If the court strikes down the new map, Missouri's congressional lines would revert to the prior map — which keeps the bulk of Kansas City within one district.

A push from Missouri's Republican attorney general to alter the census may lead to a radical shift in redistricting for state legislatures — drawing districts that don't take into account children and non-U.S. citizen adults.