Missouri Supreme Court Summons Hoskins Over 2025 Map, Defying Federal Order
Updated
Updated · stlpr.org · Sep 8
Missouri Supreme Court Summons Hoskins Over 2025 Map, Defying Federal Order
3 articles · Updated · stlpr.org · Sep 8
Summary
Chief Justice Brent Powell ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to appear Thursday and explain why directing clerks to use the 2025 congressional map does not violate the state court’s injunction.
Minutes earlier, Justice Brett Kavanaugh had refused Missouri Republicans’ bid to revive the 2025 map, but U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark separately barred officials from using any map other than the 2025 plan for Nov. 3.
Hoskins said Clark’s temporary restraining order controls and told election officials the 2025 “Missouri First” map is in effect, while People Not Politicians appealed to the 8th Circuit and sought contempt sanctions.
County election officials said the dueling orders left them unsure which map to print as military ballots must go out by Sept. 18 and early voting nears, raising risks of reprints, delays and voter confusion.
The fight could affect a Kansas City-area seat held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver and fits a broader GOP push, backed by Donald Trump, to redraw House maps ahead of the midterms.
With military ballot deadlines looming, how can local officials avoid election chaos while trapped between clashing judicial orders?
Missouri’s 2026 Redistricting Crisis: Courtroom Standoff, Dueling Maps, and the Future of Citizen Referenda
Overview
Missouri’s 2026 redistricting crisis began when state Republicans, under pressure from Donald Trump, pushed through a new congressional map (HB 1) to secure a 7-1 GOP advantage. In response, the People Not Politicians coalition launched a citizen referendum, gathering over 305,000 signatures, which legally suspended the new map. However, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins delayed certifying the petition, leading to the August primary being held under the disputed map. After the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the referendum valid and blocked the new map, conflicting state and federal court orders left local election officials in chaos, with Hoskins facing contempt proceedings for defying the state court’s injunction.