The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday (September 10) blocked Missouri from using a Republican-drawn congressional map in the November midterm elections, dealing a blow to GOP efforts to gain another House seat.
The justices issued a brief, unsigned order Thursday that halted a federal judge’s decision requiring Missouri to use the new map. The order did not explain the court’s reasoning, and no justice publicly dissented, Reuters reported.
The map was created by Missouri Republicans last year as part of President Donald Trump’s push for mid-decade redistricting that could improve the GOP’s chances of maintaining control of the House.
The new boundaries sought to eliminate one of Missouri’s two Democratic-held congressional seats, which is currently represented by longtime Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. NBC News reported.
Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight House seats. The new map could have given them a chance to win seven.
On September 3, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the new map could not be used in November unless voters approved it in a referendum, according to SCOTUSblog. The court ordered the referendum to appear on the November ballot.
On September 8, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued the order requiring Missouri to use the new congressional map in November, according to NBC News. Attorneys for People Not Politicians appealed Clark’s ruling to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that day.
On September 9, People Not Politicians and other challengers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block Clark’s order, according to Reuters.
For now, Missouri is expected to use its previous congressional map, which was adopted after the 2020 census. Voters will decide whether to approve the new map in November.
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