In July 2025,
The Missouri Independent reported that the
Trump administration had urged
Republican Party leadership in the state of Missouri to
redistrict the state's legislative boundaries to benefit Republicans. The plan elicited concern from some Missouri Republicans, such as House Speaker Pro Tempore
Chad Perkins, who said it broke the precedent of redistricting after every census. Along with redistricting in Texas, the proposal began amid concern from Trump and his allies that a Republican loss in the
2026 United States House of Representatives elections could damage Trump's legislative agenda and lead to investigations. Momentum began building behind the scenes by August 2025. Early that month,
The Kansas City Star reported emails that showed Kehoe gathered the state's top legislative leaders at the Missouri Capitol for a private meeting about redistricting on August 1, 2025. The
Star also obtained emails showing that top staffers in Kehoe's office discussed the legality of redistricting with high-ranking officials in the Missouri Office of Administration. Additional records obtained by the
Star showed that messages condemning the effort were flooding Kehoe's office, with an internal staff report listing opposition to redistricting as the No. 1 "hot topic" among residents who contacted the governor in late July. Multiple state legislators called on Mike Kehoe to call a special session immediately to redraw the congressional districts. On August 21, 2025, Donald Trump stated on
Truth Social that Missouri was ready to redraw its congressional districts. On September 9, the Missouri State House voted to advance the new map that would net the GOP another seat. The Bill headed to state senate where it also advanced on September 12. It was signed into law by Governor Kehoe on September 28. On March 24, 2026, the
Supreme Court of Missouri ruled in a 4-3 decision, that the new congressional maps did not violate the state's
Constitution.
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has until late July to decide whether the map will reach a statewide ballot, following the validation of the petition signatories needed to force a referendum, and a state court's ruling on March 20, 2026, that Hoskins must remove argumentative language from the ballot summary for the possible referendum. == Impact ==