Thursday’s hearing will force Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to explain why he should not be held in contempt after telling local officials to use Missouri’s 2025 congressional map despite a state-court injunction.
Hours earlier, Justice Brett Kavanaugh refused to stay the Missouri Supreme Court ruling, but a federal judge then temporarily barred use of any map other than the 2025 version, creating directly conflicting orders.
The state high court had ruled the referendum against the 2025 map was valid and that the 2022 and 2024 districts remain in effect for the Nov. 3 election unless voters approve Proposition A.
That leaves county election officials caught between Hoskins’ certification, the federal restraining order and the state injunction, with ballots due to begin going out Sept. 19.
The fight centers on a 2025 GOP redistricting plan designed to make 7 of Missouri’s 8 U.S. House seats Republican, versus the current 6-2 split under the older map.
When state and federal courts issue opposing mandates, who ultimately decides the fate of a looming election?
How can a state official survive the impossible choice between a federal order and state court contempt charges?
Missouri’s 2026 Election in Jeopardy: State vs. Federal Courts Clash Over Gerrymandered Congressional Map
Overview
Missouri’s 2026 election crisis began when lawmakers passed a new congressional map to eliminate a Democratic seat, but a citizen-led referendum quickly gathered enough signatures to suspend the map. Despite this, the Secretary of State delayed certifying the referendum, causing the August primary to use the disputed map. The Missouri Supreme Court later ruled the old map must be used, but a federal judge ordered the opposite, creating a direct judicial standoff. As the Secretary of State sided with the federal order, local officials were left confused, and legal battles escalated, putting the legitimacy of the upcoming election in jeopardy.