Missouri governor signs Trump-backed congressional map
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has signed a new congressional map into law, a move backed by President Donald Trump that could deliver Republicans an extra U.S. House seat in the 2026 midterms. The map, passed in a special legislative session, aims to represent Missourians fairly, according to Kehoe. Democrats plan legal challenges and a potential referendum to contest it.
Missouri, once a swing state but now firmly Republican-leaning, became the second state after Texas to enact mid-decade congressional redistricting under GOP control. Governor Mike Kehoe signed the 'Missouri First Map' into law last weekend, following its passage in the Republican-dominated state legislature last month. This comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, where Republicans currently hold six of Missouri's eight U.S. House seats.
Kehoe praised the map in a statement: "I was proud to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law today ahead of the 2026 midterm election. We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk."
President Trump endorsed the map on social media, calling it "FANTASTIC" and stating it "will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections." The effort aligns with broader GOP strategies to bolster their narrow House majority, especially after Democrats flipped the chamber in the 2018 midterms during Trump's first term.
Democrats, who need only three seats to regain House control, are responding aggressively. They vow legal challenges against the Missouri map and are collecting petition signatures for a statewide referendum. In California, Democrats are pushing a ballot proposition to redraw maps in their favor, potentially adding five Democratic-leaning districts.
Kehoe announced the special session shortly after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a similar Trump-approved map, which could create up to five right-leaning districts. These moves highlight a partisan battle over redistricting, with other states like Ohio, Indiana, Florida, and Maryland considering changes. In Ohio, a court-ordered process has shifted to a Republican-dominated commission after lawmakers missed a deadline. Indiana's Governor Mike Braun supports legislative action on redistricting, while Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis deems mid-decade changes "appropriate." Maryland Democrats introduced a bill allowing redistricting if other states act first.