The Missouri Supreme Court has stopped a new congressional map from being used in this fall’s midterms that could have flipped a Democratic-held seat in the Kansas City area to Republicans.

Republicans’ hopes of keeping control of the U.S. House were bolstered last year by GOP lawmakers in the midwestern state targeting the safe blue seat of prominent Black Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. The focus was part of a push in several Republican states to shift Democratic-held seats and make them more winnable for the GOP. Republicans are at risk of losing a narrow House majority in the upcoming midterms, now just two months away, which could fundamentally shift the balance of power for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. 

Missouri Republicans in September 2025 passed a new congressional map that split up the reliably Democratic 5th Congressional District, long held by Cleaver, Kansas City’s former mayor who was once chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. 

Even after the map was signed into law, opponents had a path to prevent it from taking effect by being able to ask Missouri voters to decide on it through a statewide vote. They sought to put that question in front of voters but faced resistance from Missouri’s Republican secretary of state, setting up the legal dynamics that led to Wednesday’s state Supreme Court decision. 

More legal action could follow. Missouri’s Republican attorney general quickly signaled that her office would take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Still, the Missouri court’s actions Wednesday are a boost for Democrats’ midterm chances. They were nearly assured to lose this seat if the lines passed in 2025 had taken effect. 

The decision sets that the old lines be used in the fall midterms, while a question of whether the new lines should take effect will be on the November ballot as well.

The timing comes after Missouri held a primary in August under the new lines redrawn by Republicans. Cleaver had stayed on the ballot to run for his old seat despite the challenge he faced in keeping it.

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