Missouri lawmakers began a special session Wednesday to redraw U.S. House districts, part of Donald Trump’s push to help Republicans secure control of Congress in 2026. Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) convened the session with a proposal that would strengthen GOP chances by expanding their 6–2 advantage into a possible 7–1 map.
The plan targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-based district, stretching it into Republican-leaning rural areas and redistributing portions into GOP strongholds held by Reps. Mark Alford and Sam Graves. St. Louis districts would see minor changes, leaving Rep. Wesley Bell’s Democratic seat largely intact.
Missouri becomes the third state to take up mid-decade redistricting. Texas Republicans already advanced a new map, while Democrats in California responded with their own plan pending voter approval. Other states, including Ohio, Utah, and Florida, could soon follow.
Kehoe’s agenda also includes a constitutional amendment to toughen Missouri’s ballot initiative process, requiring statewide measures to win both a majority of overall votes and a majority in each congressional district. The change would have blocked last year’s abortion-rights amendment, which passed narrowly with support concentrated in Kansas City and St. Louis.
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