US appeals court backs Missouri’s Republican-drawn congressional map, sets up return to Supreme Court

'Indefensible': Missouri court's 'procedurally bananas' election move leaves expert aghast

The Missouri Supreme Court handed down an opinion impacting the 2026 midterm elections that one legal expert described as "indefensible."On Monday, the court ordered Missouri lawmakers to use the gerrymandered 2025 midterm map that eliminated Democratic representation, even though ballots have already been sent to voters pursuant to the previous election map that a lower court ordered to be used. The move is likely to create chaos in the state a…

By DAVID A. LIEB Updated 5:41 PM CDT, September 21, 2026 Comments JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A long-running legal fight over Missouri’s congressional map took another turn Monday when a federal appeals panel ruled in favor of new districts backed by President Donald Trump, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked those districts from being used in the November election. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Missouri should use the new Republican-drawn U.S. House districts in the November election, just as the state did in its August primary. To revert to its prior districts for the general election would violate the U.S. Constitution, the appeals judges said. The appeals panel directed a lower court judge to issue a permanent injunction against using anything other than the map favored by Trump. But the ruling has no immediate impact. That’s because the panel also ordered the judge to delay the effect of the order for one week to allow time for an appeal. Opponents of the new map said Monday that they will file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court already has twice sided against the Trump-backed map and had blocked enforcement of a lower court order favoring the map pending a potential appeal and eventual decision by the high court. Missouri currently is set to run its November election with the same congressional districts it used in 2024 and 2022, following prior decisions by both the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Related Stories Appeals court weighs Trump-backed Missouri congressional map despite Supreme Court block Appeals court weighs Trump-backed Missouri congressional map despite Supreme Court block 3 MIN READ Missouri is poised to revert to former congressional districts after court rejects Trump-backed map Missouri is poised to revert to former congressional districts after court rejects Trump-backed map 4 MIN READ Missouri court blocks Trump-backed US House map and orders it to be put to a vote Missouri court blocks Trump-backed US House map and orders it to be put to a vote 4 MIN READ Local elections officials already have sent absentee ballots to overseas citizens and military voters using those districts. State law requires absentee ballots to be available to all other voters by Tuesday. Once voters have cast a ballot, they cannot be given another one — even if the district boundaries have changed. To try to change districts at this late date would be “practically impossible” and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities told appeals judges in a legal filing. But an attorney representing Republicans who sued — including U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and state Sen. Rick Brattin, a congressional candidate — suggested during arguments last Thursday that there still is time to revert to the Trump-backed map. The appeals panel agreed, pointing to other cases in which courts have ordered changes after absentee ballots already had been distributed to overseas citizens and military voters. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Email address Sign up “The Constitution does not permit Missouri to use a different congressional district map in the November 2026 general election than it used in the August 2026 primary election,” the appeals panel wrote in its decision. The panel consists of Judge James Loken, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, and two appointees of Trump — Judges David Stras and Justin Smith. Prior to his June appointment, Smith was an attorney who represented Trump as he unsuccessfully appealed a $5 million jury verdict in a lawsuit filed by the writer E. Jean Carroll to the U.S. Supreme Court. The group People Not Politicians, which spearheaded a referendum petition to put the new map to a statewide vote on the November ballot, said it will appeal the latest decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.” “Ballots have been printed, and Missourians have already voted. Thousands more will vote before this order seeks to take effect,” Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, said in a statement. “Officials should stop wasting taxpayers’ money on pointless legal action and instead focus on administering our elections.” - WXXV News 25

In this photo taken with a smartphone, Steve Dakopolos demonstrates in front of the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in support of a referendum petition seeking a statewide vote on a congressional redistricting plan. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)By  DAVID A. LIEB JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A long-running legal fight over Missouri’s congressional map took...

JUST IN: Appeals Court Gives Republicans A Monumental Midterms Victory

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled Monday evening that Missouri must use its 2025 congressional map for the November 3 general election rather than the 2022 map ordered by the Missouri Supreme Court. Republicans are widely projected to gain an extra U.S. House seat under the 2025 […]

Court Backs GOP on Missouri Map but Sets Up Delay

A long-running legal fight over Missouri's congressional map took another turn Monday when a federal appeal panel ruled in favor of new districts backed by President Trump, even though the US Supreme Court has blocked the redrawn districts from being used in the November election. A three-judge panel of the...

BREAKING — MISSOURI VICTORY: The 8th Circuit has hereby REINSTATED the R+1 Congressional map for Missouri's coming midterms

The 2025 map MUST BE USED, which is 7R-1D, per the courtA previous order would've made voters choose representatives based on OLD 2022 lines, even though the primaries were carried out using 2025-drawn linesCOURT: "This Court holds that Missouri’s...