Missouri Gov. Kehoe to Sign Controversial GOP-Favored Congressional Map Amid Legal Challenges

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced plans to sign the "Missouri First Map," a redistricting bill passed in a special legislative session, into law despite ongoing legal challenges. The map, supported by President Donald Trump, redraws the state's eight congressional districts to favor Republicans, notably splitting the Kansas City-based 5th District, held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, into multiple districts extending into more conservative rural areas. Republicans argue the map is more compact and splits fewer communities, while Democrats and organizations like the NAACP and ACLU contend it is a partisan power grab and have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of redistricting outside the decennial census schedule. A noted drafting error places over 800 voters in two Kansas City precincts into two districts simultaneously, but Kehoe maintains this flaw will not prevent the map's implementation. The new boundaries leave only the St. Louis 1st Congressional District as a Democratic stronghold, with the rest expected to favor Republicans, aiming to help the GOP maintain control of the narrowly divided U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Despite the governor's support, the map's final fate remains uncertain as lawsuits proceed and a referendum may put the map before Missouri voters for approval.