Missouri Gov. Calls Special Session to Ram Through Gerrymander, Strip Citizen Power

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) reinforced GOP power grabs sweeping the country, calling a special legislative session Friday to redraw congressional districts and weaken the ability of voters to pass laws through ballot initiatives.

For the session set to begin Sept. 3, Kehoe made clear he expects lawmakers to move quickly to pass what he calls the “Missouri First Map” and rewrite the state’s initiative petition process.

“Today, I am calling on the General Assembly to take action on congressional redistricting and initiative petition reform to ensure our districts and Constitution truly put Missouri values first,” Kehoe said in a press release.

At the heart of Kehoe’s plan is the Missouri First Map, which he claims is “more compact” and “splits fewer counties and municipalities than the current map.”

But democracy advocates quickly noted the talking points used hide the real objective to entrench GOP control by reshaping districts and neutralizing non-GOP voters.

This kind of mid-decade redistricting — once considered extreme — is now a hallmark of Republican strategy, encouraged by President Donald Trump to help guarantee a House majority in 2026.

Kehoe dismissed concerns of partisanship, instead framing the map as an expression of cultural identity.

“Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our Missouri values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the extreme Left representation of New York, California, and Illinois,” Kehoe said. “Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that.”

The governor also unveiled sweeping changes to initiative petition rules — the process Missouri voters have repeatedly used to pass progressive measures rejected by the GOP, including Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization.

Among other extreme provisions, ballot measures would only pass if they won a statewide majority and a majority in each congressional district.

“For far too long, Missouri’s Constitution has been the victim of out-of-state special interests who deceive voters to pass out-of-touch policies,” Kehoe said. “It’s time we give voters a chance to protect our Constitution.”

That “protection,” critics argue, is in reality a veto power for a small minority of voters.

Kehoe’s move mirrors what just happened in Texas, where Republicans rushed through mid-decade redistricting and sought to weaken ballot access.

The tactics are part of a broader national effort to undermine democracy by entrenching power regardless of voters’ will.