Red State Supreme Court Deals Blow To House Republicans Ahead Of Midterms

Republicans’ fight to retain control of Congress took a hit on Thursday after Missouri’s top court struck down the state’s GOP-friendly election map just weeks before Americans go to the polls. 

The Missouri Supreme Court struck down a map passed by the legislature last year that was expected to yield a 7-1 House seat advantage for Republicans. The court sided with a leftist group that argued the new maps need to be approved via referendum and said the GOP-favorable maps will not go into effect. 

“The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise. HB 1 did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters. The congressional redistricting the General Assembly established in 2022 remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election,” Judge Ginger Gooch wrote in a unanimous decision. 

The case centered on a lawsuit brought by Richard von Glahn, the executive director of liberal “People Not Politicians.” He sued Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for not certifying a ballot referendum on the maps approved by the state legislature. 

The maps now slated to be used in November mean a likely 6-2 split in favor of Republicans. The decision will likely save the Kansas City-area seat currently occupied by Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Both Republicans and Democrats have seen setbacks after lawmakers across the country raced to redraw election maps ahead of the midterm elections. 

President Donald Trump, who pushed Missouri to change its maps, called the decision a “dark day” for the state. 

“The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago. It’s called, Ancient History! The problem is, according to Legal Scholars, that not only was the ruling horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional, but there won’t be enough time to change the map back with the Election coming up in a very short period of time,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!”

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said she would appeal to the United States Supreme Court, noting the decision came weeks after the state held a primary election using the maps approved by state lawmakers. 

“Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election. This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full‑fledged constitutional crisis,” she said. “Our office will move immediately to seek relief from The Supreme Court of the United States. We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised — which is what today’s decision does.”

In Missouri, the governor selects a judge from a list of three candidates provided by a self-described non-partisan Appellate Judicial Commission. The public then gets a chance to vote on whether to retain the chosen judge after they have sat on the court for at least one year. Gooch, who wrote the decision, was chosen by GOP Governor Mike Parson and she retained her position with over 60% of the vote in 2024.