Key facts
- Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a citizen petition for a referendum on the state's new congressional redistricting map.
- Hoskins stated that congressional redistricting plans are unconstitutional to challenge via referendum under Missouri law.
- The petition, sponsored by People Not Politicians, submitted over 300,000 signatures, exceeding the required 111,000.
- The new Republican-backed map is already being used for the state's primaries.
- The group People Not Politicians intends to challenge Hoskins' decision in court.
Missouri's top election official, Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, has rejected a citizen petition seeking a public referendum on the state's new congressional redistricting map, which was backed by President Donald Trump. Hoskins asserted that congressional redistricting plans cannot be subjected to voter referendums under Missouri law, rendering the hundreds of thousands of signatures submitted by the group People Not Politicians irrelevant.
The decision means the new map, which significantly alters the Kansas City-based fifth congressional district held by Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver to favor Republicans, will remain in use for the current primaries. Republicans currently hold six of Missouri's eight congressional seats and aim to gain another with the new map.
People Not Politicians plans to contest Hoskins' decision in court, with executive director Richard von Glahn stating that Hoskins is attempting to silence the people's voice. The group had submitted over 300,000 signatures, well above the approximately 111,000 required to qualify for the ballot.
In a separate decision, Hoskins also rejected a proposed ballot measure aimed at strengthening the initiative process, citing constitutional prohibitions against combining multiple subjects into a single amendment. Supporters of this measure also intend to pursue legal action.
Missouri's mid-decade redistricting is part of a broader effort by Republicans in several states to redraw congressional maps to their advantage, potentially securing additional House seats. This move follows a call from Donald Trump and a Supreme Court decision impacting redistricting in Louisiana. Republicans anticipate gaining up to 16 seats nationally from new maps, while Democrats expect to gain up to six.