2025 Mid-Cycle Redistricting
In September 2025, Missouri's legislature redrew congressional district boundaries outside the normal post-census cycle. Here's what happened, why it matters, and where things stand.
What Happened
On August 29, 2025, Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session of the Missouri General Assembly to redraw the state's eight congressional districts. The effort was part of a broader national push — coordinated by the White House and the National Republican Redistricting Trust — to redraw maps in several states ahead of the 2026 midterms to protect the Republican House majority.
The Missouri House passed HB 1 on September 9 (90-65, party-line), the Senate followed on September 12 (21-11), and Gov. Kehoe signed it into law on September 28, 2025.
The Maps: Before and After
Pan and zoom either map — both stay in sync. Click a district for population and demographic breakdown.
| District | 2022 Map | HB 1 (2025) | Partisan Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD-1 | St. Louis (safe D) | Minimal changes | Stays D |
| CD-2 | St. Louis suburbs (R+11) | Extended into southern MO | R+11 → R+14 |
| CD-3 | Central/northeast MO | More compact, St. Charles to Hannibal | Stays R+20 |
| CD-4 | West-central MO (safe R) | Gains part of Kansas City (west of Troost) | More safely R |
| CD-5 | Kansas City (safe D, Rep. Cleaver) | KC remnant + 14 rural counties east to Osage County | Solid D → Solid R |
| CD-6 | Northwest MO (safe R) | Gains part of Kansas City | Stays safely R |
| CD-7 | Southwest MO (safe R) | No significant change | No change |
| CD-8 | Southeast MO (safe R) | No significant change | No change |
Net effect: Projected delegation shifts from 6R-2D to 7R-1D. CD-5 is the primary target.
Impact on Communities
Kansas City Split
Under the current map, Kansas City is largely contained within CD-5. The HB 1 map splits the city across three districts (CD-4, CD-5, and CD-6), diluting its concentrated voting power. The new CD-5 stretches from a sliver of Kansas City eastward through 14 rural counties to Osage County.
Troost Avenue & Racial History
The new map uses Troost Avenue — Kansas City's historic line of racial segregation since the 1920s — as a dividing line between CD-4 and CD-5. Majority-Black neighborhoods east of Troost are placed into the rural-stretching CD-5, while predominantly white neighborhoods west of Troost go to CD-4. Critics say this reopens long-standing racial wounds; supporters say the line follows existing political boundaries.
Rep. Cleaver's District
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D), who has represented CD-5 since 2005 and won reelection with over 60% in both 2022 and 2024, now faces a district that leans heavily Republican. Four Republican candidates filed for the redrawn seat shortly after the map was signed. Inside Elections shifted the seat rating from Solid D to Solid R.
Rural Communities
The new CD-5 pairs Kansas City urban voters with rural voters across 14 counties who have different policy priorities — agriculture, broadband access, and rural healthcare vs. urban transit, housing, and city services. Both communities may find their specific concerns diluted in a sprawling, mixed district.
Legal Arguments
Mid-cycle redistricting raises important constitutional questions. Both sides present substantive legal arguments grounded in federal and state law.
Arguments Supporting the New Map
Constitutional Authority
The U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause (Art. I, Sec. 4) grants state legislatures broad authority over congressional election procedures. Neither federal law nor the Constitution limits redistricting to once per decade.
Supreme Court Precedent
In LULAC v. Perry (2006), the U.S. Supreme Court explicitly ruled that mid-decade redistricting is not per se unconstitutional. Texas's 2003 mid-cycle redistricting was upheld. States may redistrict as often as they choose.
Governor's Justification
Gov. Kehoe stated the existing map "may be vulnerable to a legal challenge under the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment, due to a lack of compactness in certain districts."
State Constitution
Supporters argue that Missouri's once-per-decade redistricting language applies only to state legislative districts, not congressional districts, leaving the legislature free to redraw congressional maps at any time.
Arguments Opposing the New Map
Missouri Constitution
The ACLU and Campaign Legal Center argue the Missouri Constitution permits congressional redistricting only once per decade following the decennial census. They also claim the new districts violate the state's compactness requirement (Art. III, Sec. 45), which requires districts be "as compact as may be."
Voting Rights Act
Six of nine House members targeted by Republican redistricting efforts nationally are Black or Latino. Critics argue the maps dilute minority voting power in potential violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Partisan Gerrymandering
Opponents characterize the map as a partisan gerrymander drawn purely to maximize Republican seats with no legitimate justification — no new census data, no court order, no significant population shifts since 2020.
Historical Norms
Before Texas in 2003, no state had attempted mid-decade redistricting for partisan purposes since the Supreme Court's "one person, one vote" decisions. Critics warn that normalizing mid-cycle redraws invites an escalating cycle of retaliatory gerrymandering.
Where It Stands
Court Challenge
The ACLU, ACLU of Missouri, and Campaign Legal Center filed suit challenging the new map under the Missouri Constitution. On March 12, 2026, a Jackson County Circuit Court judge upheld the map, ruling it does not violate the state constitution. The ACLU has indicated plans to appeal, and the case is expected to reach the Missouri Supreme Court.
Citizen Referendum
A citizen-led effort called "People Not Politicians" launched a referendum petition to put the new map on the November 2026 ballot. Approximately 300,000 signatures were submitted in December 2025.
If the referendum qualifies, it would suspend the new map for the 2026 election. If voters approve the referendum, the map would be permanently overturned and the 2022 boundaries restored.
Dispute: Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R) refused to verify over 100,000 signatures, claiming they were collected before an October 14 cutoff date. As of March 2026, the campaign was reportedly fewer than 200 signatures short of meeting its goal, with a Cole County judge hearing arguments over the disputed signatures. Deadline for certification: August 11, 2026.
National Context
Missouri's redistricting was part of a coordinated national effort. The White House and National Republican Redistricting Trust worked with state legislatures in multiple states to redraw maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. In response, Democratic-controlled states like California also engaged in counter-redistricting.
| State | Party | Status | Seats Targeted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | R | Enacted Aug 2025; upheld in court | 5 D seats |
| Missouri | R | Enacted Sept 2025; upheld at trial, appeal pending | 1 D seat |
| North Carolina | R | New map passed | 1-2 D seats |
| Indiana | R | Failed — 21 R senators voted no with all Democrats | 1 D seat |
| Kansas | R | Stalled — insufficient intra-party votes | 1 D seat |
| California | D | Counter-redistricting in response | R seats |
By end of 2025, Republicans gained approximately 9 newly favorable seats through redistricting nationally, compared to approximately 6 for Democrats.
Sources & Data
District boundaries are from the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS). The current map shows the 2022 enacted boundaries from Census TIGER/Line files; the HB 1 map shows the 2025 boundaries as signed into law.
- MSDIS Open Data Portal — HB 1 district shapefiles
- Governor's Office — HB 1 signing announcement
- ACLU — Legal challenge filings
- Ballotpedia — Redistricting overview and referendum status
- Wikipedia — 2025 Missouri redistricting timeline
This page presents factual information from public sources. Show-Me Districts is a nonpartisan civic transparency project and does not advocate for or against any redistricting plan.