JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A federal judge has cleared the way for the Missouri Supreme Court to hold a contempt hearing on Thursday for Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. The hearing stems from Hoskins’ refusal to follow the state high court’s directive to use the older congressional map, rather than the Trump‑backed map, in the upcoming November election.
Background on the redistricting fight
The dispute began more than a year ago when the Missouri Supreme Court ordered that the state could not use a new congressional map championed by President Trump. Instead, the court required the use of districts drawn after the 2020 census, which had been approved by Republican lawmakers in 2022.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark intervened on Tuesday, issuing an order that effectively barred Hoskins from using any map other than the Trump‑supported version. This conflicting order prompted the state Supreme Court to summon Hoskins for a contempt hearing, accusing him of ignoring its earlier mandate.
Legal maneuvers and the Supreme Court’s role
State attorneys for Hoskins asked Judge Clark to pause the contempt hearing, but the judge declined. The hearing is set to proceed as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a separate request from redistricting opponents who seek to halt Judge Clark’s order favoring the Trump‑backed map.
Missouri was the second Republican‑led state, after Texas, to adopt new districts after President Trump urged Republicans to redraw House districts to benefit the party ahead of the midterm elections.
Impact of the revised districts
The revised Missouri districts target a Kansas City‑based seat held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. By moving portions of the district into neighboring areas and extending the remainder into rural Republican‑leaning counties, the plan aims to help Republicans win seven of the state’s eight House seats in the midterms – a net gain of one seat.
Petition drive and procedural disputes
Opponents of the new map gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures to force a statewide referendum on the districts. They submitted the petitions in December, but Hoskins waited until August – the day of Missouri’s primary – to reject the petition, arguing that a referendum cannot be used for congressional redistricting.
This delay allowed the state to use the new districts in the August primary. Republican officials argued that switching districts before the general election would violate voters’ federal rights.
Recent court rulings
Last week, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered Hoskins to place the redistricting referendum on the November ballot, which he complied with. The court also ruled that the new districts never became law and retroactively suspended them to the date the petition was filed in December.
Consequently, the court barred Hoskins from using the Trump‑backed map and mandated that the older 2022 map be used for the November election. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of that decision, but Judge Clark issued his conflicting order shortly thereafter.
What’s next for Missouri voters
With the contempt hearing scheduled for Thursday, the state Supreme Court will determine whether Hoskins faces penalties for defying its order. The outcome could influence how the congressional districts are applied in the November election and set a precedent for how state officials respond to judicial directives in redistricting battles.
Missouri voters should stay informed about the final map that will appear on their November ballots, as the configuration of districts will shape the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next two years.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
