Supreme Court Rejects Missouri’s Appeal to Restore GOP-Gerrymandered Congressional Maps

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File

The effort by Missouri Republicans to gerrymander the state’s congressional maps will not work this year, after the Supreme Court of the United States rejected an appeal.

Like several states with GOP majorities in their legislatures, the Missouri legislature attempted an unusual mid-decade redistricting that drew the lines more favorably for Republicans, a change enthusiastically pushed by President Donald Trump. Normally, redistricting is done in each state every ten years after the U.S. Census is taken.

The new GOP-drawn map would have likely resulted in flipping a congressional seat blue to red, Missouri’s fifth congressional district, currently held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO). The redrawn lines split up Cleaver’s metropolitan Kansas City district among multiple other more rural districts.

The gerrymandered map drew a lawsuit like they have in every state. Last week the Missouri Supreme Court tossed out the new maps, issuing a unanimous opinion that redrawing the maps required a referendum approved by voters, and therefore ordering a return to the previous congressional district lines.

The Fox News Power Rankings had shifted MO-05 from Solid D to Solid R after the redistricting, and then back again to Solid D after the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling.

Tuesday’s ruling was a solo opinion issued by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He did not include a written opinion explaining his reasoning.

UCLA Law professor and election law expert Rick Hasen reacted to the ruling, writing on his website that he was “not surprised” the nation’s highest court refused to hear the appeal because the state’s argument was “weak.”

This is a breaking news story and may be updated.

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