Missouri Appeals Court Revives GOP Congressional Map, Heads to Supreme Court

WHO:

CNN - Missouri election officials, GOP, Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, People Not Politicians

NBC News - Republicans

WHAT:

CNN - A federal appeals court ruled that Missouri must use a GOP-friendly congressional redistricting plan for the November 2026 election.

CNN - The ruling from the US 8th Circuit Court of Appeals is on hold for a week for Supreme Court review.

CNN - The Missouri Supreme Court previously ordered the use of an older, 5-2 redistricting plan instead of the 6-1 Republican-leaning map.

CNN - The 8th Circuit concluded that requiring voters to use the older plan violates the US Constitution.

CNN - More than 1.4 million Missourians could not vote for congressional district nominees on their November 2026 general election ballot.

CNN - More than a quarter-million Missourians who voted in the August 2026 primary cast votes for candidates who cannot represent them due to the map changes.

WHERE:

CNN - Missouri, specifically targeting the 5th Congressional District and its Kansas City base.

WHEN:

CNN - The new congressional map is set to be used in the November 2026 election.

CNN - The August 2026 primary election was referenced regarding voter participation.

WHY:

CNN - The GOP aims to eliminate one of the state’s two Democratic House districts through the new congressional map.

HOW:

CNN - The ruling relied on estimates from a conservative group regarding voter impact and representation.

(UPDATED September 22, 2026 01:22 UTC)

A federal appeals court has ruled that Missouri must implement a GOP-friendly congressional redistricting plan for the upcoming November 2026 election, putting a previous order from the Missouri Supreme Court on hold. The 8th Circuit Court determined that using an older redistricting plan would violate the US Constitution, potentially disenfranchising over 1.4 million voters who participated in the August 2026 primary election. This decision aims to eliminate one of the state’s two Democratic House districts, with the new map specifically affecting the 5th Congressional District and its Kansas City base.