Hoskins’ last-ditch effort to avoid contempt hearing shot down by federal judge

By Jen Rice

Denny Hoskins, Missouri's secretary of state, at a campaign event on Nov. 4, 2024, at Jefferson City Memorial Airport. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)

A federal judge rejected a last-minute bid from Missouri’s top election official to avoid a state Supreme Court hearing Thursday morning on whether he is in contempt of court for ordering local officials to use a voting map the justices explicitly barred.

With the year-long gerrymandering fight approaching the final rounds of spectacular legal turmoil, the Missouri Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Thursday morning on redistricting opponents’* request for an order holding Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R) in contempt for violating the court’s injunction blocking use of the new GOP gerrymander.

Separately, the question of which map is ultimately in effect for the upcoming November election has now returned to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Missouri’s local election officials are now facing conflicting guidance, with the Missouri Supreme Court ordering them not to use the new gerrymander and federal District Judge Stephen Clark ordering them not to use any map other than the new gerrymander, which would eliminate a Democratic district in Kansas City

Hoskins, who has spent the past year attempting to thwart redistricting opponents at every turn, seized on the federal court order, instructing election clerks to use the new map as they make final preparations to print ballots. 

Hoskins then asked federal district court Judge Stephen Clark – who had reinstated the gerrymandered map –  to shield him from Thursday’s contempt hearing, requesting that Clark enjoin the state court from considering the matter. 

Clark denied Hoskins’ request, concluding that “(n)o profit would be gained by upsetting the federalism and comity principles at hand.”

“This Court recognizes the predicament in which Secretary Hoskins finds himself,” Clark went on. “This Court is confident that the Supreme Court of Missouri does, as well. This Court is equally confident that both courts will accord each other comity, and that the Supreme Court will soon weigh in.”

*The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents pro-voting parties in this case. ELG Firm Chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket.