US Supreme Court rejects Missouri's push to overturn gerrymandered map ruling

Kacen Bayless, The Kansas City Star on Sep 8, 2026

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday rejected Missouri’s push to use the state’s gerrymandered congressional map in November, a key ruling that ensures the map will remain blocked.

Kavanaugh did not issue a reason for his decision on Tuesday. The move marks the end of a lengthy redistricting fight in Missouri and blocks a Republican attempt to oust Kansas City’s longtime congressman.

The decision came just days after the Missouri Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, found that the gerrymandered map cannot be used in the November election. The ruling blocked Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins from conducting the election using the new map.

Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Friday filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court asking to reinstate the map. Kavanaugh, who oversees Missouri cases, denied that application four days later.

The ruling hands a major loss to Missouri Republicans, who passed the map last year under pressure from the Trump administration. Missouri will now officially use a map lawmakers passed in 2022 based on 2020 U.S. Census data.

The decision centered on a referendum campaign, called People Not Politicians, that turned in more than 305,000 signatures to force a statewide vote on the map. The gerrymandered map could not go into effect unless voters approved it in November, the state Supreme Court ruled.

“Boom,” Chuck Hatfield, the attorney for People Not Politicians, wrote on social media after Kavanaugh’s decision.

A spokesperson for Hanaway did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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