JEFFERSON CITY, Mo (AP) — Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe stated Friday that he’s calling Missouri lawmakers right into a particular session to redraw the state’s U.S. Home districts as a part of a rising nationwide battle between Republicans and Democrats searching for an edge in subsequent 12 months’s congressional elections.
Kehoe made the announcement simply hours after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed into legislation a brand new congressional voting map designed to assist Republicans acquire 5 extra seats within the 2026 midterm elections. It marked a win for President Donald Trump, who has been urging Republican-led states to reshape district strains to provide the get together a greater shot at retaining management of the Home.
Missouri is the third state to pursue an uncommon mid-decade redistricting for partisan benefit. Republican-led Texas took up the duty first however was rapidly countered by Democratic-led California, the place Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking voters to approve a map geared toward giving his get together 5 extra seats.
Kehoe scheduled Missouri’s particular session to start Sept. 3. He launched a proposed new map that targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas Metropolis-area district by stretching it eastward into rural Republican-leaning areas.
His agenda additionally consists of one other Republican precedence — a proposed constitutional modification that may make it tougher to approve citizen-initiated poll measures, similar to abortion-rights and marijuana legalization amendments adopted lately.
Kehoe forged each objects as a protection towards liberal politicians and activists.
“Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government,” he stated in an announcement.
Democrats had been fast to precise outrage. Missouri state Home Minority Chief Ashley Aune referred to as Kehoe a “Trump puppet” trying to “steal a congressional seat for Republicans” and intestine the poll initiative course of.
It “marks the worst threat to the integrity of our state government since pro-slavery lawmakers voted for Missouri to join the Confederacy in 1861,” Aune stated in an announcement.
Missouri is represented within the U.S. Home by six Republicans and two Democrats — Cleaver and Rep. Wesley Bell in St. Louis.
Cleaver referred to as the proposed redistricting an assault on democracy perpetrated by Trump.
“This attempt to gerrymander Missouri will not simply change district lines, it will silence voices. It will deny representation,” Cleaver stated in an announcement whereas vowing to not concede the seat.
Missouri Democrats have little capability to stop Republican lawmakers from enacting a brand new map. Not like in Texas, the place Democrats left the state for 2 weeks to delay a vote, Missouri Democrats’ absence wouldn’t stop a quorum for enterprise. And though Democrats might filibuster within the Senate, Republicans might use procedural maneuvers to close that down, as they did earlier this 12 months to cross a proposed constitutional modification limiting abortion.
Republicans gained a 220-215 Home majority over Democrats in 2024, an final result that aligned virtually completely with the share of the vote gained by the 2 events in districts throughout the U.S., in line with a latest Related Press evaluation. Though the general final result was near impartial, the AP’s evaluation reveals that Democrats and Republicans every benefited from benefits particularly states stemming from the best way districts had been drawn.
Democrats would want to web three seats in subsequent 12 months’s election to take management of the chamber. The incumbent president’s get together tends to lose seats within the midterm elections, as was the case for Trump in 2018, when Democrats gained management of the Home and subsequently launched investigations of Trump. In search of to keep away from the same scenario in his second time period, Trump has urged Republican-led states to fortify their congressional seats.
In Texas, Republicans already maintain 25 of the 38 congressional seats.
“Texas is now more red in the United States Congress,” Abbott stated in a video he posted on X of him signing the laws.
Newsom, who has emerged as a number one adversary of Trump on redistricting and different points, tauntingly labeled Abbott on X because the president’s “#1 lapdog” following the signing. Democrats already maintain 43 of California’s 52 congressional seats.
Voting rights teams filed a lawsuit this week forward of Abbott’s signing the invoice, saying the brand new map weakens the electoral affect of Black voters. Texas Democrats have additionally vowed to problem the brand new map in court docket.
Some Missouri Republicans had pushed for a map that would give them a 7-1 edge when redrawing districts after the 2020 census. However the GOP legislative majority in the end opted towards it. Some feared the extra aggressive plan might be inclined to a authorized problem and will backfire in a poor election 12 months for Republicans by creating extra aggressive districts that would enable Democrats to win three seats.
Republican officers in Florida, Indiana and elsewhere are also contemplating revising their U.S. Home districts, as are Democratic officers in Illinois, Maryland and New York.
In Utah, a decide not too long ago ordered the Republican-led Legislature to attract new congressional districts after discovering that lawmakers had weakened and ignored an unbiased fee established by voters to stop partisan gerrymandering. Republicans have gained all 4 of Utah’s congressional seats beneath the map authorized by lawmakers in 2021.
DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. Related Press journalist Jim Vertuno contributed from Austin, Texas.
