Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has officially ordered a special legislative session for lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map, a move aimed at solidifying Republican control ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The GOP currently holds six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats. Analysts expect Republicans to target at least one Democratic seat, likely the Kansas City-based 5th District represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver.
Special Session Set for Wednesday
Kehoe announced Friday that the General Assembly will reconvene in Jefferson City on Wednesday. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers, making passage of new maps highly likely despite anticipated legal challenges.
“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 statement.
The “Missouri First Map”
The governor unveiled what he called the Missouri First Map, which he said was drawn by his team. Kehoe argued the proposal would create more compact and contiguous districts, split fewer counties, and keep each U.S. Representative within their current boundaries.
“Missourians are more alike than we are different,” Kehoe said. “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. Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that.”
Trump Praises Move
President Donald Trump praised the announcement, noting he has repeatedly urged Republican states to redraw maps to counter what he calls a “census error” that gave Democrats an edge.
“The Great State of Missouri is now IN. I’m not surprised. It is a great State with fabulous people,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I won it, all 3 times, in a landslide. We’re going to win the Midterms in Missouri again, bigger and better than ever before!”
Part of a Larger GOP Push
Kehoe’s decision came just hours after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law new congressional maps that convert five Democrat-held districts into Republican-leaning seats.
In Florida, Speaker of the House Daniel Perez also announced plans this week to form a committee to explore redistricting, with hopes of flipping three to five Democrat-controlled districts.
The Missouri session underscores a broader Republican strategy to expand the party’s hold on Congress ahead of the next elections.
