Appeals court hands big win to Trump admin, rules Missouri should use newly drawn, Republican-backed congressional map in upcoming midterms

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has handed a major win to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the midterms, ruling that Missouri should use its newly drawn GOP-backed redistricting map, which “complies with the Constitution and federal law,” in the November elections. According to reports, the new congressional map will reshape Missouri’s eight House districts. The ruling came from Judge James B. Loken, a President George H.W. Bush nominee, along with Trump-nominated Judges David R. Stras and Justin D. Smith.

Appeals court rules in favor of Donald Trump-backed congressional map

The 8th Circuit Court ruling came after the issue faced two legal setbacks earlier this month. In a 40-page ruling, the panel of three judges wrote in part, “This court holds that Missouri’s current plan to use the 2022 map in the November 2026 general election violates the Constitution. Only use of the 2025 map complies with the Constitution and federal law. We affirm the district court and remand for entry of a permanent injunction.”

Following the appellate court’s ruling, District Judge Stephen Clark in the Eastern District of Missouri entered a permanent injunction, ultimately blocking Secretary of State Danny Hoskins or his agents, officers and employees from implementing a map other than the one from 2025.

The appellate court judges also urged the lower court to administer a stay for one week until 5 p.m. CT on September 28, writing, “Without any stay, Secretary Hoskins and local election authorities would be required to immediately begin implementing the 2025 map before the Supreme Court receives or decides any appeal.”

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal blocking Missouri’s new redistricting map. Days prior to the 8th Circuit’s ruling, Justice Brett Kavanaugh declined to hear an emergency appeal on the case.

Advocacy group challenges new map

People Not Politicians, a citizen-led, non-partisan advocacy campaign, had previously successfully challenged Missouri’s new map in state court and initiated the second appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Richard von Glahn, the executive director of People Not Politicians, said in a previous statement to Newsweek after the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this month, “The law is the law, the Missouri constitution is clear, as was the Missouri Supreme Court. Over 305,000 Missouri voters — Republicans, Democrats and independents — took action to block this political power grab last fall. People, not politicians, will have the final say when they vote NO on Proposition A this November.”

However, 8th Circuit Court Judge Stras wrote in the ruling that “People Not Politicians and Richard von Glahn lack standing. For that reason, I would dismiss the appeal.”

The confusion regarding absentee ballots

According to reports, Missouri has already shipped out absentee ballots to military voters and overseas citizens with the 2022 congressional maps instead of the new 2025 map. Absentee ballots are said to be available to other voters by Tuesday, September 22. However, the appellate court ruling argued that since absentee ballots for other voters have not yet been made available, as the deadline has yet to arrive, the decision regarding the new congressional map stands. The panel judges wrote, in part, “For all Missouri voters not covered by UOCAVA [the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act], absentee ballots may be requested and cast beginning on September 22, 2026. … That deadline has not yet arrived, and thus general absentee voting has not yet begun. Accordingly, the September 22, 2026, absentee ballot commencement date does not moot this case.”

Lawmakers, prosecutors comment on ‘rigged’ Missouri map fiasco

Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor and the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, commented on the confusion that arose as a result of the appellate court’s ruling in a statement to Newsweek, saying, “Missouri is a total mess. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the 2025 map was unlawful because it was not approved by the voters. Normally a state Supreme Court is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to state law, but now a federal circuit court has ruled that changing back to [the] old 2022 map violates federal law because congressional districts can’t be changed between primary and general elections.”

Rahmani further pointed out the problem with the already shipped ballots, saying, “The problem is some ballots have already been mailed and a number of Missourians have voted. Had the Missouri Secretary of State simply put the issue of the new map to the voters instead of deciding that it was legally unnecessary, we wouldn’t be in the mess. Instead, the U.S. Supreme Court will almost certainly have to step in and resolve this dispute between state and federal law.”

Rep. Christian Menefee, a Texas Democrat, took to X to express his discontent with the 8th Circuit’s decision, calling it “outrageous.”

“The Supreme Court already stepped in twice to block Missouri’s rigged map. Ballots are already in the mail. Now, at the 11th hour, an appeals court is letting Missouri Republicans force that rigged map on voters anyway. All to erase a Kansas City district and silence Black and Brown voters. Catastrophic for confidence in our elections,” he wrote.