The Missouri House of Representatives on Tuesday approved plans to redraw state congressional districts as part of President Trump’s push to boost the Republican majority in Congress.
The new state congressional map was approved in 90 to 65 vote, with a handful of GOP lawmakers voting against it.
The so-called “Missouri First Map” would split Kansas City into three GOP-leaning congressional districts and could help Republicans flip Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-Mo.) seat in the House in the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump congratulated Missouri’s “incredible Republican State Legislators” for “overwhelmingly” supporting the “much fairer, and improved, Congressional Map,” in a Truth Social post.
“It was my Great Honor to win Missouri six times, including Primaries, in 2016, 2020, and 2024 (Getting the Highest Number of Votes for any Office in the History of the State!), and this new Map will give the wonderful people of Missouri the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections,” the president wrote.
The redistricting bill will now head to the GOP-controlled Missouri Senate, which is expected to approve the measure as early as Wednesday.
“The Missouri Senate must pass this Map now, AS IS, to deliver a gigantic Victory for Republicans in the ‘Show Me State,’ and across the Country,” Trump continued. “I will be watching closely.”
“THANK YOU MISSOURI — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe ordered state lawmakers to convene for a special session on redistricting last month – shortly after Texas state GOP lawmakers passed a contentious redistricting bill that could potentially add five Republican seats to the US House of Representatives.
Kehoe’s announcement also came as California moved forward with plans to redraw its congressional map to cancel out the Lone Star State’s effort with additional Democratic seats.
“Our Missouri FIRST Map and initiative petition reform now head to the Missouri Senate,” Kehoe wrote on X Tuesday. “Thank you to the bill sponsors, Representative Dirk Deaton and Representative Ed Lewis, for their leadership and dedication to putting Missouri first.”
“We appreciate the Republican members of the House for their efforts and commitment to ensuring that the values of Missourians are represented clearly and effectively,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, Cleaver has slammed the mid-decade redistricting push as an “unprecedented directive” and “unconstitutional attack” on democracy initiated by Trump.
“This attempt to gerrymander Missouri will not simply change district lines, it will silence voices. It will deny representation. It will tell the people of Missouri that their lawmakers no longer wish to earn their vote, that elections are predetermined by the power brokers in Washington, and that politicians – not the people – will decide the outcome,” the Democratic congressman said in a statement.
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