Federal court backs Republican-favored Missouri congressional map for November election 

A federal appeals court ruled Missouri must use its Republican-favored congressional map in November, potentially ending a chaotic legal tug-of-war.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that reverting to an older map following a primary election that used a different one violates the U.S. Constitution.

The court ordered a permanent injunction requiring the state to use the 2025 congressional map – affectionately called the “Missouri FIRST Map” by Republicans. It paused the order until Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. to allow for Supreme Court review. The high court could choose to intervene or decline to take the case, which would leave the Missouri FIRST Map in place.

Rep. Bob Onder, R-Missouri, praised the ruling, telling Heartlander News the federal appeals court recognized a profound injustice and set it right.

“A year ago, the Missouri General Assembly passed and Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the House Bill One map, the Missouri First Map, and that’s been the law of the land ever since,” said Onder, whose district stretches from Jefferson City to the suburbs of St. Louis.

The Missouri FIRST Map gives Republicans a favorable 7-1 lean in the state’s congressional seats, effectively eliminating a Democratic seat in the Kansas City area.

Disenfranchising Missouri voters

The Eighth Circuit determined Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution protects a voter’s ability to participate in the entire selection process of congressional nominees.

Switching maps after the primary would leave many voters choosing among nominees they had no opportunity to select. The court noted more than 1.4 million Missourians reside in different districts under the two maps.

“Under the new versus old map … you’ve effectively told Missourians they are not the ones choosing their U.S. representatives for their congressional district,” Onder said. “And that’s just a profound wrong, a profound constitutional violation.”

Leftist dark money

The legal saga began when People Not Politicians submitted a referendum petition on the new map just days before it took effect. Onder called the organization a “leftist dark money special interest group.”

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition after concluding the state constitution doesn’t authorize referendums on congressional redistricting plans.

Missouri conducted its August primary using the Missouri FIRST Map, and a Cole County circuit judge initially upheld Hoskins’ rejection.

The state Supreme Court reversed the decision in early September. The court ordered the referendum onto the November ballot and directed the state to use the older 2022 map.

Onder filed suit alongside state Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, to block the state court’s ruling.

A federal district court quickly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the state to stick with the Missouri FIRST Map. The U.S. Supreme Court paused the order while the Eighth Circuit heard the appeal.

The Eighth Circuit found the dispute presented a purely legal question and reached the constitutional merits without further discovery. It ordered its mandate to issue immediately.

Judge David Stras dissented in part. He argued the intervenors lacked standing to appeal because their referendum remains on the ballot, and they showed no personal injury.

Onder remains confident the Missouri FIRST Map will stand. The new boundaries will officially govern the November election if the U.S. Supreme Court declines to take up an appeal because of the Sept. 28 deadline.

“There are abundant precedents for federal courts to do the right thing, just because state courts make an absolute last-minute switcheroo on the maps,” Onder said.

He blames leftists for any voter fatigue caused during the back-and-forth court proceedings.

“Just because the Missouri Supreme Court did something crazy and activist at the 11th hour, just a couple months before the general election – well after the primary election polling places is closed – doesn’t mean our side should just give up,” Onder said.