Missouri Democrats' effort to block GOP gerrymander picks up steam
Democrats in Missouri looking to block the state’s new congressional districts hit a key deadline on Tuesday, organizers say, getting a step closer to freezing the map drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature to create an additional GOP-leaning district in the 2026 midterms.
People Not Politicians, the committee organizing to block the new map, said it submitted over 305,000 signatures to Missouri’s Secretary of State Denny Hoskins on Tuesday, more than double the 107,000 valid signatures needed to trigger a referendum process that could put the map in front of voters next year.
Hoskins’ office will now process the signatures and distribute them to local elections offices for verification.
The petition puts into jeopardy Missouri Republicans’ attempt to eliminate the Democratic-leaning Kansas City district currently held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver — part of a larger push by President Donald Trump to tilt the odds in his favor of retaining control of the House in next year’s midterms.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/missouri-gerrymandering-midterm-elections-00683693