Missouri Senate Passes Trump-Backed Redistricting Plan
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. Alex Brandon/AP
On Friday, the Missouri Senate gave its final approval to a redistricting plan endorsed by President Donald Trump, potentially allowing Republicans to gain an additional House of Representatives seat in the 2026 midterms.
The approved map now heads to Governor Mike Kehoe (R-MO), who is expected to sign it into law. However, opponents of the new map have already launched a campaign to place the new district lines before voters in a referendum. If they gather enough signatures, the proposed changes could be decided in a statewide vote.
Trump took to Truth Social to offer the following statement:
Thank you very much to the Great State of Missouri for the Redistricting which will, hopefully, give us an additional Seat in Congress! A new, much fairer, and much improved, Congressional Map, has now overwhelmingly passed both Chambers of the Missouri Legislature. Congratulations to Governor Mike Kehoe, Senate President Pro Tempore Cindy O’Laughlin, Senate Majority Floor Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins, Representative Dirk Deaton, and many other Patriotic Legislators, for your FANTASTIC work on this new Map, which will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections. It is wonderful to see Republicans in the “Show Me State” standing up to Save our Country, and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. THANK YOU MISSOURI —MAGA2026!
@realDonaldTrump, Truth Social
A major target of the revisions is Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) district in Kansas City. The redrawn boundaries reduce the share of Black and minority residents in Cleaver’s district, raising concerns from critics. Cleaver, Kansas City’s first Black mayor, has served in Congress for over two decades, winning over 60% of the vote in the past two elections.
The push for redistricting puts Missouri among a growing number of states engaged in high-stakes battles over political boundaries. Recently, Republican lawmakers in Texas passed new maps aimed at netting five more House seats. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) proposed redistricting measures that could gain Democrats five seats. Notably, the House is currently made up of 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
