Missouri's Gerrymander Fight Lands Before SCOTUS for a Third Time
An 8th Circuit ruling reviving the GOP-drawn map collides with the Missouri Supreme Court's order, forcing a rushed Supreme Court appeal days before the election.
Part of a larger narrative
Trump White House Ballroom Fight
- Missouri's Gerrymander Fight Lands Before SCOTUS for a Third Timeyou are here
- Missouri Supreme Court holds Hoskins in contempt, rules he purged it by backing down
- Missouri Reverts to Old Map After Supreme Court Blocks GOP Gerrymander Again
- Missouri court threatens contempt against Hoskins after map ruling defiance
What to know
- The 8th Circuit's order to use the 2025 GOP map directly conflicts with a Missouri Supreme Court ruling requiring the 2022 map, leaving officials with contradictory legal mandates.
- Ballots have already been distributed under the 2022 map in some counties, and absentee voting began Sept. 22, adding urgency to the dispute.
- The Supreme Court has already blocked the 2025 map twice and must now rule a third time, with Justice Kavanaugh ordering an expedited state response.
- The outcome could shift one U.S. House seat by eliminating a Democratic-leaning Kansas City district, with national implications for control of Congress.
The dispute Commenters split on whether the Supreme Court will ultimately side with the 8th Circuit's revived GOP map or affirm the Missouri Supreme Court's 2022 map, with no consensus on which ruling will actually govern the election. · positions read across 269 posts and comments
The 8th Circuit and Missouri Republicans are corruptly manipulating the courts to force through a gerrymander.
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“Fucking Appellate Courts! Corrupt as hell. The SOS set on a petition signed by almost 400,000 people for over 6 months to bring the gerrymandering map to a vote by the people so he could pull this shit at the last minute.”
boxerdogmom.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
The legal whiplash is an intentional strategy to sow chaos and distrust in the election system.
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“That's the point. To sow distrust in the system in order to validate false claims.”
ky1911a1.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Confusion over how a federal court can override the state supreme court, with some expecting SCOTUS to reverse the 8th Circuit.
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“The Supreme Court of Missouri told them they had to follow the 2022 map. How can a federal court butt in now?!”
whyisthat.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Denny Hoskins Missouri Secretary of State (R)Richard von Glahn Executive director, People Not Politicians
Marc Elias Founder of Democracy Docket, Elias Law Group chair
Brett Kavanaugh U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Donald Trump President, backer of the 2025 map
How it unfolded 7 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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Missouri Republicans file counter-plea to revive the gerrymander
State Republicans and Missouri officials asked the Supreme Court to let the 2025 map stand for the midterms, arguing the same district lines must govern both the primary and general elections; a ruling could come at any time.
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The Eighth Circuit just ordered Missouri to use a GOP congressional map that the state’s own Supreme Court ruled never legally took effect. Now the fight heads back to the U.S. Supreme Court, with Missouri voters and the November election hanging in the balance.
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
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If SCOTUS slaps down the 8th Circuit yet again, could it also order the 8th Circuit not to hear any further appeals until Nov 4 at the earliest? Yes, leave that as a test whether the 8th Circuit understands the concept moot .
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🚨BREAKING: Missouri Republicans made their last-ditch pitch to the U.S. Supreme Court to swap congressional maps for the midterms even as voting is already underway in the Show Me State.
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Referendum proponents formally petition SCOTUS to review the 8th Circuit
Missouri referendum backers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the 8th Circuit's ruling requiring use of the 2025 gerrymander, arguing the appeals court effectively defied the justices' earlier orders blocking the map.
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first by Newsweek, 1d ago
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🚨BREAKING: Missouri referendum proponents asked the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday night to review a federal appeals court ruling requiring the state to use its 2025 GOP congressional gerrymander in the November midterms.
2 more of the top 3 · 6 posts in this stretch
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If you missed the news overnight, we’re back at SCOTUS with the Missouri maps mess that the lower federal courts have kept going this week. Justice Kavanaugh has called for a quick response by 10a today to last night’s request from those seeking to end this and keep the 2022 map in place. https://www. lawdork.com/p/eighth-circuit-m…
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🚨BREAKING: Missouri voting advocates asked the Supreme Court to review an 8th Circuit ruling ordering the state to revive a GOP congressional gerrymander for the midterms, even as ballots have already gone to some voters. The request comes after the justices already ruled against the map twice.
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Kavanaugh sets a same-day deadline for a state response
As the fight reached the Supreme Court for a third time, Justice Kavanaugh ordered a response from Missouri officials by 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to reporting on the emergency filings.
“Kavanaugh sets short fuse, orders response by 2PM Wednesday…”
— Josh Gerstein -
first by Missouri Independent, 17h ago · also KMBC, CBS News, Orlando Sentinel, Baltimore Sun, Mercury News, Philadelphia Inquirer +3
5 more headlines
- Amicus briefs filed as Missouri congressional map fight awaits Supreme Court decision KMBC · 17h ago
- Redrawn Missouri congressional map lands before Supreme Court for third time cbsnews.com · 17h ago
- Trump-backed Missouri congressional map returns to the Supreme Court for the third time Orlando Sentinel · 15h ago
- Missouri redistricting fight reaches Supreme Court for third time The Hill · 15h ago
- Supreme Court to take third look at Missouri redistricted map UPI · 12h ago
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BREAKING: Missouri redistricting fight hits #SCOTUS for 3rd time. Opponents of plan likely to shift 1 House seat to GOP say appeals court basically defied earlier #SCOTUS ruling. Kavanaugh sets short fuse, orders response by 2PM Wednesday
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
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BREAKING: Intervenors in Missouri maps case go to SCOTUS seeking emergency relief following the Eighth Circuit's Monday order. Justice Kavanaugh — nearly immediately — called for a response by 2p ET Wednesday. https://www. lawdork.com/p/eighth-circuit-m issouri-maps-roberts-court
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The Missouri congressional map supported by President Donald Trump returns to the Supreme Court for the third time.
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Law Dork ties the chaos to Supreme Court's handling of the case
Legal journalist Chris Geidner argued the ongoing disorder over Missouri's maps stems from the Roberts Court's own inconsistent handling of the dispute, calling it a 'mess' with trickle-down effects on lower courts.
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first by SCOTUSblog, 1d ago
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NEW: The Eighth Circuit, Missouri’s maps, and the mess the Roberts Court has brought about. Even as the Supreme Court has tried to stop the Missouri maps chaos, it turns out that a lack of concern for precedent, rules, and stability have trickle-down effects. This evening, at Law Dork:
2 more of the top 3 · 6 posts in this stretch
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UPDATE: The Eighth Circuit denied the intervenors' request to recall the mandate or stay the opinion at 6:25 p.m. CT in a one-sentence order. That is now included in my Law Dork report: https://www. lawdork.com/p/eighth-circuit-m issouri-maps-roberts-court
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Unfortunately, they do have a point here: "switching to the 2022 districts for November would leave some voters participating in the primary for one district and the general election for another" That's not fair no matter how ya slice it. It's a clusterfuck either way.
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Referendum backers ask 8th Circuit to extend its pause
People Not Politicians, which won the state-court fight for the 2022 map, asked the 8th Circuit to keep its ruling on hold beyond Sept. 28 while it appeals to the Supreme Court, noting that Missouri's 116 local election authorities are already running the election under the 2022 map.
“The on-the-ground reality is irrefutable. Missouri's 116 local election authorities are running the election under the 2022 map. Military ballots were transmitted September 18 as required.”
— People Not Politicians -
first by Washington Times, 11h ago · also Democracy Docket, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Politico, SCOTUSblog, Fox News +6
11 more headlines
- Missouri Republicans make final plea to Supreme Court to revive gerrymandered map Democracy Docket · 10h ago
- Supreme Court asked to end legal mess over Missouri's congressional map Washington Examiner · 10h ago
- Missouri congressional map fight returns to Supreme Court for third time Washington Post · 10h ago
- Missouri's House map heads to Supreme Court for third time Politico · 10h ago
- Missouri congressional redistricting battle goes to Supreme Court for the third time SCOTUSblog · 10h ago
- Federal appeals court orders Missouri to use congressional map rejected twice by Supreme Court Fox News · 10h ago
- A third US Supreme Court showdown looms over Missouri's shifting congressional map WTOP News · 10h ago
- Missouri's embattled, Trump-backed congressional map returns to Supreme Court for a third time KEYT-TV · 10h ago
- Trump-backed Missouri congressional map returns to Supreme Court for third time Associated Press · 10h ago
- Missouri again ordered to use gerrymandered map for midterms — Supreme Court likely to decide Mastodon · 7h ago
- Missouri Congressional Map Returns To Supreme Court For Third Time ZeroHedge · 4h ago
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first by seMissourian, 2d ago · also NYT, UPI, Missouri Independent
3 more headlines
- Appeals Court Sides With Missouri Republicans on Redrawn House Map The New York Times · 2d ago
- Appeals court brings back Republican-backed Missouri voting map UPI · 2d ago
- Appeals court backs Missouri’s gerrymandered map, but decision is put on hold Missouri Independent · 1d ago
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🚨BREAKING: Missouri referendum proponents asked a federal appeals court Monday to pause its ruling requiring the state to use its 2025 GOP congressional gerrymander in the November elections while they seek U.S. Supreme Court review.
2 more of the top 3 · 29 posts in this stretch
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ICYMI: Missouri has been ordered by a federal appeals court to reinstate a gerrymandered map that eliminates a Democratic district in Kansas City. The shock decision likely means the Supreme Court will be asked to make a final ruling on Missouri’s redistricting battle:
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How are Missouri citizens supposed to know when, where, or how to vote? Trump & his minions really are sowing confusion, chaos, and discord everywhere and in every way they can.
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Vladeck flags the panel's built-in delay for SCOTUS review
Legal commentator Steve Vladeck noted the 8th Circuit ordered its own ruling stayed long enough for challengers to seek Supreme Court intervention, tempering initial alarm.
“But before folks freak out, it also ordered that court to pause such a ruling for long enough that the challengers can (and will) seek further review from #SCOTUS…”
— Steve Vladeck -
8 outlets Appeals panel favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but US Supreme Court block remains
first by Philadelphia Inquirer, 2d ago · also Washington Times, NPR, AP News, PBS NewsHour, Mercury News, Associated Press +1
4 more headlines
- Appeals court oks Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say Washington Times · 2d ago
- Missouri court rules in favor of Trump-backed map, but Supreme Court will weigh in : Trump's Terms NPR · 2d ago
- Appeals court favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say AP News · 2d ago
- Appeals court rules in favor of Trump-backed Missouri congressional maps The Guardian · 1d ago
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🚨BREAKING: A federal appeals court on Monday ordered Missouri to reinstate a gerrymandered map that eliminates a Democratic district in Kansas City, even though the state has already distributed ballots.
2 more of the top 3 · 214 posts in this stretch
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There is going to be important election related litigation news virtually every day between now and early January, at least. Here’s a doozy. The 8th Circuit today decided to override the Missouri Supreme Court and once again insist the state use a map gerrymandered to eliminate a majority-black Congressional district. 1/ # LawFedi https://www…
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It’s just a constant back and forth. The 8th Circuit has now ruled that Missouri should use the GOP-drawn 2025 congressional map for the November midterms, putting the federal appeals court at odds with the Missouri Supreme Court, which ordered the state to use its 2022 map.
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8th Circuit orders Missouri to reinstate the 2025 GOP map
A three-judge panel ruled that using the 2022 map in November, after the August primary was run under the 2025 map, would violate Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, and ordered a permanent injunction requiring the 2025 map, though it paused enforcement until Sept. 28 for Supreme Court review.
“This Court holds that Missouri's current plan to use the 2022 map in the November 2026 general election violates the Constitution.”
— 8th Circuit Court of Appeals -
first by The Hill, 2d ago · also Politico, NBC News, Courthouse News, Courthouse News Service, Washington Examiner, Daily Caller
5 more headlines
- Appeals court revives GOP gerrymander in Missouri that Supreme Court killed off twice Politico · 2d ago
- Appeals court seeks to revive GOP congressional map in Missouri NBC News · 2d ago
- Eighth Circuit revives GOP-gerrymandered Missouri map for third visit to Supreme Court Courthouse News · 2d ago
- Appeals court ruling tees up Supreme Court battle for GOP-friendly Missouri map Washington Examiner · 2d ago
- Federal Appeals Court Pulls Another Switcheroo On GOP-Friendly Missouri Map Daily Caller · 2d ago
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first by One America News Network, 2d ago · also KEYT-TV, Legal Insurrection, The Gateway Pundit, The Washington Sun, Roll Call
6 more headlines
- Appeals court orders Missouri to use Trump-backed congressional map, setting up another Supreme Court battle KEYT-TV · 2d ago
- Appeals Court Orders Missouri to Use New Congressional Map Legal Insurrection · 2d ago
- US Appeals Court Backs Mo. GOP-Drawn Congressional Map NewsMax.com · 2d ago
- BREAKING: Appeals Court Orders Missouri to Reinstate GOP-Favored Congressional Map Ahead of Midterms The Gateway Pundit · 2d ago
- Appeals Court Revives Missouri's Republican-Friendly Congressional Map Push The Washington Sun · 2d ago
- Appeals court backs GOP-drawn map in Missouri Roll Call · 2d ago
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Capital B News, 10h ago · also Capital B
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first by RedState, 2d ago · also KMBC
1 more headline
and 7 smaller pieces
What people are saying 11 voices from 2 sites · best of 269 · verbatim
- How are Missouri voters supposed to know which congressional map and district applies to their ballot?
- What happens to absentee and military ballots already cast or transmitted under the 2022 map if the 2025 map is reinstated?
- Will the Supreme Court rule before the Sept. 28 deadline set by the 8th Circuit's injunction?
- Today
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🚨BREAKING: Missouri referendum proponents made their final pitch to the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, arguing that lower federal courts cannot sidestep the justices’ previous order halting use of the state’s Republican-drawn 2025 congressional map.
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Fight over Trump-backed congressional map returns to Supreme Court https://www. usatoday.com/story/news/politi cs/2026/09/23/supreme-court-redistricting-missouri-trump-map-congress/91889345007/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into OnPolitics @ onpolitics-USAToday
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https://www. europesays.com/thestates/7790/ Trump-backed Missouri congressional map returns to the Supreme Court again # Courts # GeneralNews # MidtermElections # missouri # politics # redistricting # USNews # voting # WashingtonNews
- Yesterday
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And, yes this almost certainly means we should be expecting a trip back to SCOTUS in short order, which, I explained at Law Dork earlier this evening, was inevitable sometime in the coming days. https://www. lawdork.com/p/eighth-circuit-m issouri-maps-roberts-court
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The case is likely headed back to the Roberts Court. https://www. politico.com/news/2026/09/21/m issouri-map-ruling-midterms-01086519 2/
- Sep 21
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# CNN # News Appeals court orders Missouri to use Trump-backed congressional map, setting up another Supreme Court battle
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https://www. europesays.com/thestates/4360/ Appeals court backs Missouri’s gerrymandered map, but decision is put on hold # 8thCircuitCourtOfAppeals # BriannaLennon # CongressionalMap # ElectionOfficials # FederalAppealsCourt # missouri # MissouriSupremeCourt # RickBrattin # SupremeCourt
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A federal appeals court has revived a Republican-friendly redistricting in Missouri that appeared to have twice been blocked by the Supreme Court. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Monday that the state must use the GOP-favored map in the midterms, despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that seemed to nudge federal courts to…
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NEW: It's the gerrymander that won't die. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has revived a GOP-friendly Missouri map expected to net the party a congressional seat — despite what everyone thought was an earlier death knell from SCOTUS. w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
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The Eighth Circuit has ordered the district court to reinstate Missouri’s 2025 congressional map. But before folks freak out, it also ordered that court to pause such a ruling for long enough that the challengers can (and will) seek further review from #SCOTUS: s3.
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🚨 BREAKING: In a loss for Missouri voters, the 8th Circuit rules the GOP's congressional gerrymander should be used for the midterms. The ruling puts the federal court in direct conflict with the Missouri Supreme Court. Now SCOTUS must decide for a third time which map will be used in November.