Missouri GOP Advances Gerrymander Again, Clears Key Committee

Missouri Republicans are rushing their mid-decade gerrymander, with the House Rules–Legislative Committee voting 7-3 Friday to advance the GOP’s congressional map proposal. This moves Gov. Mike Kehoe’s (R) “Missouri First Map” one step closer to the House floor.

Kehoe’s map would secure a 7–1 Republican supermajority in Missouri’s congressional delegation by dismantling Kansas City’s Democratic-leaning 5th District and breaking apart minority communities. 

Democrats blasted the plan during the committee hearing as a Trump-driven scheme to rig the 2026 elections.

“A large number of you have privately told me you don’t want to do this,” State Rep. Keri Ingle (D) said to her Republican colleagues. “They’re doing this because of President Donald Trump, because they are more scared of him mean-tweeting them and maybe suffering a primary next year.”

But Republicans are still defending the plan. 

“My people sent me here to vote for this map,” Committee chair Richard West (R) said. “I think that the map that has been presented best represents the state of Missouri.”

The second committee vote to advance the gerrymander comes just days after the NAACP filed a lawsuit seeking to block the entire special session as unconstitutional, arguing that the governor is abusing is power to force new maps without census data or reapportionment.

With two committees now backing the plan, the full House could take up the bill in the coming days.