Missouri GOP Considers Texas-Style Redistricting Plans
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The Missouri Republican Party is reportedly considering redistricting plans similar to those proposed in Texas that would bolster the GOP's chances in upcoming elections.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is weighing the proposal, Bloomberg reported, citing senior legislative leadership and a spokesperson for the governor.
Newsweek reached out to representatives for Kehoe via a website form for comment.
Why It Matters
The potential move by Missouri comes amid intensifying national conflict over congressional redistricting. Republicans have sought to redraw the districting map in Texas that would bolster their chances in the upcoming midterm election and potentially gain five seats in the House of Representatives.
That plan, backed by President Donald Trump, was thwarted when more than 51 Texas Democrats traveled out of state to stop the vote, sparking anger from critics and praise from political allies who accused Republicans of gerrymandering and voter suppression. Votes can only take place in the Texas legislature when two-thirds of the 150 members are present.
Republicans have slim majorities in Congress, and traditionally, voters lean toward the party not in the White House in midterm elections. Therefore, Republicans are under pressure ahead of November 2026.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe takes the stage before his acceptance speech in Jefferson City on November 5, 2024.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe takes the stage before his acceptance speech in Jefferson City on November 5, 2024.
Bailey Stover/Missourian via AP
What To Know
Texas state Senator Cindy O'Laughlin, the Republican president pro tempore, told Bloomberg that Kehoe "wants to be sure Missouri's representation matches Missouri's Christian conservative majority," adding that the legislature was ready to take up a special session if the governor called for one.
However, an unnamed GOP congressional aide told the outlet that it is not yet clear whether the legislature will move forward with the proposal.
If it goes forward, the move will be contentious. U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat who could see his district redrawn, told Bloomberg that his lawyers are looking into whether White House officials have violated federal law by putting pressure on Missouri lawmakers over these redistricting plans.
What People Are Saying
Communications Director for Governor Mike Kehoe, Gabby Picard, told Bloomberg: "Governor Kehoe will always consider options that provide congressional districts that best represent Missourians."
Texas Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver told Bloomberg: "These kinds of political high jinks really turn off the public. This is highly divisive."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, on X: "Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, at an August 4 press conference: "These brave public servants are taking a stand, a strong stand, against a blatant power grab that's happening in their state as we speak. And this will have implications not just in Texas, but for our entire nation and its future."
What Happens Next
Legal experts anticipate that any aggressive redistricting moves could prompt court challenges. Historically, lawsuits delayed or overturned redistricting plans when courts deemed them unconstitutional or violative of the Voting Rights Act.
Meanwhile, action is brewing in other states. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a dispute over redistricting in Louisiana, and earlier this year overturned a lower court decision that ruled South Carolina's congressional map was unconstitutional.
On Monday, the Associated Press reported that Democrats in California are considering a political map that would hand them five more seats while bolstering incumbents in other battleground districts.
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