Missouri voters hit top election official with second lawsuit over gerrymandered map

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R) faces a second lawsuit filed by angry voters affected by the protracted legal battle over Republicans’ attempts to impose a gerrymandered congressional map for the midterm elections.

The lawsuit is the latest public blow to Hoskins, who was found in contempt by the state Supreme Court for violating an order not to move forward with a map eliminating a Democratic U.S. House seat in Kansas City. Last week, five voters who had signed a petition to force a referendum vote on the gerrymander filed a class action seeking $80 million in damages.

The latest lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the Cole County Circuit Court, also seeks class status for voters forced to cast ballots in the primary using the gerrymandered 2025 map, only to vote in the general election in districts originally drawn in 2022. The lawsuit, which sues Hoskins in both his personal and professional capacities, seeks $500 for every person affected by the shifting district lines.

Hoskins’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Missouri Republicans forced a gerrymander through the state legislature last year in response to President Donald Trump’s demand for new maps to increase Republicans’ chances of maintaining control over the House of Representatives in the midterms. However, voters collected enough signatures to force a referendum on the redrawn map. Under Missouri law, that meant the new map could not take effect until voters had their say.

According to the lawsuit, Hoskins waited until the last possible moment to announce that he determined the ballot measure was unconstitutional and would not be on the November ballot, even though he made that decision far in advance. 

As a result of those delays, affected voters were forced to cast ballots in newly drawn districts during the state’s primary. But then the Missouri Supreme Court required Hoskins to yank the gerrymander and order election officials to use the 2022 maps after holding Hoskins in contempt for nevertheless attempting to use the gerrymander for the midterms.

The lawsuit alleges that Hoskins’ actions “were taken in bad faith, were malicious, and were intended to injure Missouri voters,” violating his responsibilities as secretary of state.