Supreme Court Blocks Missouri's GOP-Favored Congressional Map for the Third Time, Locking in the 2022 Map for the Midterms
The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked Missouri's Republican-favored congressional map from use in the 2026 midterms for the third time this month, upholding the 2022 map in an unsigned order with no dissents. The ruling locks in a six-of-eight GOP advantage instead of the redrawn map's seven-of-eight, weeks before absentee ballots are already in voters' hands.
What happened
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, September 25, 2026, barred the use of Missouri's Republican-friendly congressional map in the November midterm election, the third time this month that the high court has intervened to halt the Republican-drawn map, according to Political Wire, citing the Los Angeles Times. The ruling was unsigned and carried no dissents, and it upheld a state court order requiring the use of the 2022 election map, which favors Republicans in six of Missouri's eight districts. "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos," the unsigned opinion stated, adding that lower courts "should not enjoin or otherwise prohibit the use of the 2022 map in the 2026 congressional election in Missouri," as quoted by The Western Journal. The justices reasoned that switching maps now would cause election chaos because absentee ballots are already out and more than 1 million voters have been moved under the new map, per Ground News's story summary.
The dispute traces back to President Donald Trump's call for nationwide redistricting, after which Missouri's legislature redrew its maps to favor Republicans in seven of the state's eight seats, one more than under the 2022 map. Opponents of the redraw responded by submitting more than 300,000 signatures to force a statewide referendum on the new map. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the referendum petitions, but the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the initiative effectively suspended the new map and later held Hoskins in contempt, according to the Ground News summary of the case. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday, September 21, 2026, that the Republican-drawn map could be used, though it never went into effect, and the Supreme Court overturned that decision on Friday after opponents filed, per the Ground News summary. The Western Journal's Bryan Chai described the sequence as "a short-lived burst of joy from the GOP," noting that the map "would've all but certainly flipped a blue seat red." Chai also noted that the same day brought a separate Supreme Court ruling in favor of Trump on the SAVE voter-verification database, a case that is distinct from the Missouri map dispute.
Why it matters
The ruling fixes the electoral map for a midterm election that is now weeks away, with 38 days until the November ballot as of September 26. Under the 2022 map that will now govern, Republicans hold an advantage in six of eight districts; under the redrawn map they would have held seven, a difference that could determine control of a single seat in a closely divided House. The case also tests the interaction between a state legislature's redistricting power, a citizen referendum process, and federal court review, all compressed into an election calendar. The Supreme Court's unsigned, unopposed order leaves the state's highest court in charge of the map while signaling that federal courts will not disrupt election administration once voting is underway. The episode is part of a broader national redistricting fight that began with Trump's call for maps to be redrawn across the country, and the outcome in Missouri may shape how similar disputes are timed and litigated elsewhere.
How it is being covered
Ground News tracks 130 sources carrying the story, with a left/centre/right split of 22/62/16 percent, and 106 of 121 rated outlets assessed as high or very high factuality. Coverage is weighted toward the centre, with right-leaning outlets such as The Western Journal emphasizing the loss of a likely Republican pickup and pairing the ruling with the same-day SAVE database decision, while the Ground News summary flags no blindspot in the sample. The figures above are per ground.news.
What to watch
Watch whether Missouri officials complete the transition back to the 2022 map in time for absentee voting, given that more than 1 million voters have already been moved under the suspended map. Watch the contempt proceedings against Secretary of State Hoskins, which could affect who administers the referendum petitions going forward. Watch whether opponents pursue the referendum itself now that the 2022 map will govern the 2026 election, since the petition drive could still produce a statewide vote on future maps. Watch for further redistricting litigation arising from other states that responded to Trump's nationwide call, and watch whether the Eighth Circuit or the state legislature seeks further review in a future election cycle. Finally, watch the margin in any Missouri district where the redrawn map would have changed the partisan lean, since the one-seat difference between the two maps may be visible in November results.
By the numbers
Source snapshot
