Missouri voters are expressing frustration more than confusion after the state’s congressional map was redrawn and then reinstated in the weeks leading up to November’s election.
Rapid Changes in District Lines
Leslie Moody, a 70-year-old retired chemist from Kansas City, knew she wasn’t voting for her current representative, Democrat Emanuel Cleaver. She couldn’t say exactly who was on the ballot because the districts had changed so quickly after the Republican-controlled legislature, encouraged by President Donald Trump, redrew the map last year. This legislative action was part of a broader, multistate effort aimed at increasing the Republican Party’s numbers in the House of Representatives. Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight House seats, and the map was designed to secure that advantage.
The new map, designed to give the GOP a better shot at picking up a seat, split Kansas City into multiple districts. This move moved voters into areas with more conservative voters and stretched the boundaries far beyond city limits. The resulting configuration left just two of the state’s eight congressional districts unchanged. Specifically, the Trump-backed map left the St. Louis-based 1st District likely to be dominated by Democrats, while the 5th District, also currently represented by a Democrat, saw the biggest change. In fact, only about 2 in 5 voters in the old district were included in the new one, which included new additions like residents of the state capital, Jefferson City.
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The state Supreme Court ordered the use of the 2022 map for the primary, but a U.S. Supreme Court order Thursday resolved the dispute for the general election. Moody’s neighborhood is back in a compact 5th District centered on Kansas City, one of the two currently represented by Democrats. The other, Trump-backed map split Kansas City into multiple districts stretching far outside the city and into areas with more conservative voters. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court order on Thursday seems to have resolved the situation for November’s general election, with the state returning to the map that was in place for 2022 and 2024.
Political Fallout and Reactions
Carolyn McDowell, a longtime Republican activist from Jefferson City, said she does not like that Republican lawmakers attempted to gerrymander districts in the middle of the decade. Her home was temporarily shifted from Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Onder’s district to that of Democrat Cleaver before being returned to Onder’s district. The new additions to the 5th District included the state capital, which is located about 130 miles (210 kilometers) east of Kansas City, and McDowell expressed her disapproval of the legal maneuvering.
“This is confusing for people who are running for office and for the voters,” McDowell said. However, she is glad the Supreme Court blocked the use of the new districts for November, calling the new map “unconstitutional when they even thought of it.” She learned on Thursday that her home would again be back in Onder’s district, which stretches eastward to suburban St. Louis, and she feels the legal process has been a distraction from the actual election process.
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Kay Park, president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri, said her organization did not get many calls from voters about the changing districts. But several people she did talk to felt like the redrawn map did not represent them as well as the one they had before — and which has now returned. The League’s focus was on ensuring fair representation, and the repeated changes have made it difficult to inform the public effectively about where they should cast their votes.
Primary Elections Under a Cloud
Ashley Sadowski, a progressive independent from Kansas City, studied the Democratic candidates carefully for the primary because she had lived in the 5th District for so long. The new maps moved her home into the 4th District, but she is back in the 5th for the general election. She even tuned in to a state Supreme Court hearing Thursday at which judges considered whether to hold Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt for not following an order to use the 2022 version of the districts.
She attended a state Supreme Court hearing Thursday regarding Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, but she still found it nearly impossible to understand the back and forth. “It’s just astounding to me how we all showed up in August to vote on a map that wasn’t legal,” Sadowski said. The rapid changes made the primary an unusual blip, creating a scenario where voters were expected to handle a political scene that was constantly in flux.
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The rapid changes made the primary an unusual blip. The switch left 1 voter untouched, but it embarrassed many residents who feel the changes were unfair. This single untouched voter highlights the chaotic nature of the redistricting process, which has left many citizens feeling disenfranchised and unsure of their political standing.
Concerns About Democracy
Leslie French’s home in Platte City remains in the Republican-dominated 6th District regardless of which map is used in November. French, a Democrat, can’t get over what has been going on. Platte City is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City, and the stability of her district contrasts sharply with the instability experienced by others.
She believes switching districts after the lines were drawn following the 2020 census is unfair and feels it reflects a country not serious about democracy. She was surprised and thankful that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh restored the earlier map. French has been to rallies over gerrymandering and redistricting and sometimes wears a Lady Liberty costume. She said the situation is “embarrassing” and admits she is tempted to tell people she is Canadian when traveling abroad.