{"id":2667441,"date":"2026-09-22T11:07:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T15:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaign8th-circuit-orders-missouri-to-use-gop-backed-map-for-midterms\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T11:08:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T15:08:03","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaign8th-circuit-orders-missouri-to-use-gop-backed-map-for-midterms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaign8th-circuit-orders-missouri-to-use-gop-backed-map-for-midterms\/","title":{"rendered":"8th Circuit Orders Missouri To Use GOP-Backed Map For Midterms"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaign8th-circuit-orders-missouri-to-use-gop-backed-map-for-midterms%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2667441&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Missouri redistricting dispute has concluded wiht a court ruling requiring the state to use its 2025 congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections, rather than the 2022 map previously used. The three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Missouri&#8217;s plan to use the 2022 map for the November 2026 election violates the U.S. Constitution, as it deprives over 1.4 million voters of their proper portrayal and creates unequal influence among voters.This decision overturns Missouri Supreme Court\u2019s earlier ruling that mandated using the 2022 map and included a referendum on the 2025 map. Federal challenges, including a temporary restraining order issued by a Trump appointee and subsequent supreme Court actions, complex the process. the appellate court\u2019s decision emphasizes the importance of fair representation and directs the district court to enforce use of the 2025 map for the upcoming election.Missouri\u2019s efforts to challenge this ruling may continue with appeals to the Supreme Court.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Missouri\u2019s chaotic redistricting battle is finally over \u2014 or so America thought.<\/p>\n<p>A three-judge panel for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.ca8.115480\/gov.uscourts.ca8.115480.00805615819.3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled<\/a> on Thursday that the Show Me State must use its 2025 congressional map in the upcoming midterm elections. The new map would take Missouri from a six Republican-two Democrat map (enacted in 2022) to a seven Republican-one Democrat map. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis Court holds that Missouri\u2019s 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,\u201d the court held. <\/p>\n<p>The panel was comprised of Judge James Loken, a Bush 41 appointee, and Judges David Stras and Justin Smith, both Trump appointees. <\/p>\n<p>The entire kerfuffle began earlier this month, when the Missouri Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/missouri-high-court-blocks-gop-backed-congressional-maps-ahead-midterms-trump-blasts-ridiculous-ruling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled<\/a> that the state must use its 2022 map for the midterms and to include a statewide referendum on the 2025 map on Missouri\u2019s 2026 fall ballot. The left-wing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/people-not-politicians-pnp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">People Not Politicians<\/a>\u2018 efforts to get the referendum placed on the ballot were initially rejected by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. <\/p>\n<p>Missouri-based Chief District Judge Stephen Clark, a Trump appointee, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/09\/09\/federal-judge-reinstates-missouris-new-election-map-after-kavanaugh-declines-to-get-involved\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">issued<\/a> a temporary restraining order days later in a federal challenge brought by several congressional candidates, mandating the Show Me State to use the 2025 map for the midterms. That ruling came moments after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected an emergency request by Missouri officials to pause the Missouri Supreme Court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<p>SCOTUS ultimately <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/09\/10\/scotus-blocks-missouri-from-using-gop-backed-congressional-map-for-midterms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">froze<\/a> Clark\u2019s TRO without explanation the following day. The high court said that the lower court\u2019s order is paused \u201cpending the disposition of the appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari in this Court, if such a writ is timely sought.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>[READ:[READ:<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/09\/14\/missouri-freedom-caucus-eyes-judicial-reform-after-state-redistricting-debacle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Missouri Freedom Caucus Eyes Judicial Reform After State Redistricting Debacle<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In its per curiam opinion, the 8th Circuit noted estimates indicating that more than 1.4 million Missourians \u201ccould not vote for the congressional district nominees who will appear on their November 2026 general election ballot, and [how] more than a quarter-million Missourians who voted in the August 2026 primary election cast a vote for a congressional district candidate who now cannot represent them.\u201d Permitting the state to use its 2022 map under these circumstances, it said, would allow \u201csome Missouri voters [to] have more say than others on who represents them in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMissouri\u2019s primary is \u2018the initial stage in a two-stage process by which the people choose their public officers.\u2019 \u2026 Missouri cannot deprive more than 1.4 million of its residents of their choice in half of that process without violating Article I, Section 2\u201d of the U.S. Constitution, the court ruled. \u201cTherefore, this Court holds that, because Missouri used the 2025 map in the August 2026 primary election, using the 2022 map in the November 2026 general election violates Article I, Section 2.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stras authored a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. While citing the \u201cprobable\u201d violation of Article I Section 2, the Trump appointee said he \u201cwould not even get that far because People Not Politicians\u201d and its co-challenger \u201clack standing.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor that reason,\u201d he wrote, \u201cI would dismiss the appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In ordering Clark to issue a permanent injunction requiring Missouri to use its 2025 map for the midterms, the 8th Circuit directed the district court to pause implementation of that order until 5 p.m. on Sept. 28 to \u201callow for Supreme Court review.\u201d PNP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kmbc.com\/article\/missouri-congressional-map-us-supreme-court-september-17-2026\/73780779\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">indicated<\/a> Monday evening that it will appeal the appellate court\u2019s ruling to SCOTUS once again. <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Key takeaway: What the Eighth Circuit did today is not going to be subject to the Supreme Court stay. It will involve a new permanent injunction order. That means MO 1st goes into effect. Also a very polite threat to SCOMO to stop with the contempt nonsense. Wow. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EcnxOlZRDJ\">https:\/\/t.co\/EcnxOlZRDJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Eric W. (@EWess92) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EWess92\/status\/2102154737781010779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 21, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Missouri must use 2025 map for midterms, court rules<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2667442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Missouri.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[74138,86057,34250,8584,60925],"class_list":["post-2667441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-8th-circuit","tag-election-redistricting","tag-midterm-elections","tag-missouri","tag-voting-maps"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Missouri.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2667441"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2667445,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667441\/revisions\/2667445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2667442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2667441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2667441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2667441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}