Staff Reports
The Supreme Court’s in-chambers denial by Justice Brett Kavanaugh left Missouri in a legal mess this week: the state high court’s order to use the 2022 congressional map for the November midterms stands, and voters will see a referendum on whether to approve the Republican‑drawn 2025 map in the future. Missouri officials begged the high court for emergency relief to restore the new map and avoid a last‑minute scramble. The request was denied, and now everyone is left guessing who will actually decide how Missourians vote this fall.
What Justice Kavanaugh’s decision actually did — and didn’t do
Justice Brett Kavanaugh declined to grant Missouri’s emergency application to reinstate the 2025 map for the general election. That single, short in‑chambers denial leaves the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling in place: the court said a citizens’ petition suspended the 2025 map and ordered the Secretary of State to put the map question on the ballot as a referendum. The practical result is that the 2022 congressional lines are the ones election officials must work from for now — unless a federal court says otherwise.
State court ruling vs. federal litigation — the dueling process
Don’t let social‑media noise fool you: the federal fight is not over. Plaintiffs including U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and State Senator Rick Brattin have an active case in federal court asking for relief from the state high court’s decision. Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark has required more briefing, so a federal judge could still step in. That leaves election officials, candidates, and voters living in a kind of legal ping‑pong game — while ballots must be printed and absentee mailings prepared.
Why this matters to Republicans and to Missouri voters
The 2025 map was drawn by the Republican legislature and was expected to shift one seat toward Republicans. Losing the chance to use that map in the immediate midterm cycle matters: one seat can tip committees, push agendas, or make a tight House fight easier. Yet the Missouri Supreme Court’s retroactive suspension — saying the 2025 plan “was never the law” until voters approve it — raises real questions about process. If petitions can freeze maps after enactment, legislatures will be left powerless to finalize districts before an election. That’s chaos, plain and simple.
What should happen next — and what voters should do
Federal courts should move fast to give a clear answer. Election administrators need certainty, not more litigation theater. Republicans should also turn this into a campaign issue: voters deserve to know which map they will use and to decide the referendum with full information. Most of all, Missourians should pay attention and show up at the ballot box — because the people, not a last‑minute courthouse scramble, ought to settle how their districts are drawn.
