Missouri, Texas Officials Consider Redistricting Ahead 2026 Midterms

President Donald Trump is actively pressuring Republican-controlled states, including Missouri and Texas, to redraw congressional maps mid-decade to create more Republican-leaning districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, a move that has sparked significant controversy. Missouri, where Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II represents the 5th District centered on Kansas City, is considering such redistricting despite the current map being drawn in 2022. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe and other state leaders express support for the effort, framing it as a way to maintain Republican control and reflect conservative values, while Democrats warn it undermines representative democracy and targets urban, diverse districts unfairly. Similar battles are playing out in Texas and North Carolina, where gerrymandering has long skewed political representation, with both parties having engaged in the practice historically. Democrats are pushing for nonpartisan redistricting reforms and public ballots on map drawing, arguing that current efforts are partisan power grabs that disenfranchise voters. The debate highlights a growing national conflict over the integrity of electoral maps and the potential impact on the balance of power in Congress.