The Missouri Senate on Friday approved a new congressional map that, when enacted, would add one safe Republican district to the state’s House map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has dubbed the newly redrawn map the “Missouri FIRST Map” and he is expected to quickly sign it into law, Politico reported. Missouri is the second Republican-led state to advance a redistricting plan that increases the number of GOP districts, joining Texas, whose newly redistricted map is poised to add up to five more Republicans to the Lone Star State’s House delegation.
The “Missouri FIRST Map” carves up heavily Democratic Kansas City — thus turning the 5th congressional district currently held by Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver into a safely GOP seat. The map also adds Republican voters to the 2nd congressional district which Republican Rep. Ann Wagner won by 12 points in 2024.
Cleaver, an 11-term Congressman, along with other Democrats, have said they will fight the new map in court. Cleaver labeled the new map “as stinky a plan as you could have” earlier in September.
Republican Missouri Rep. Bob Onder from the state’s 3rd congressional district said the newly passed map marks “a great day for Missouri” in an X post Friday.
Trump urged Missouri’s state senators to pass the new map during their caucus meeting in early September, according to the Missouri Independent. The White House has also pushed Indiana to redistrict ahead of the midterms with Vice President JD Vance visiting the state in August. Ohio will also see a new district map soon as its current state law requiresthe state’s map be redrawn before the 2026 midterms.
Texas first implemented their new district map in August, spurring California Democrats to retaliate by asking voters to approve overriding the state’s independent redistricting commission in a special November election, which Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called on Aug. 14. The California map awaiting voter approval could give Democrats up to five additional seats, bringing the number of Republican representatives in the 52-seat state to only four.
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