RNC, NRCC sue to defend Missouri’s new congressional map from Democrats
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The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) filed a lawsuit Thursday defending Missouri’s new congressional map.
The RNC told Fox News Digital that the lawsuit aims to intervene as Democrats escalate what it describes as a nationwide campaign to block Republicans’ legally passed redistricting laws.
“Democrats across the country are using frivolous lawsuits to cling to power after failing at the ballot box,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. he said. “The RNC fights for Missourians’ values against Democrats who seek to use the courts to tilt congressional districts in their favor and override the will of the voters.”
The RNC said the new congressional map adopted by the Missouri General Assembly last year fully complies with the state constitution. Opponents of the map claim the plan violates provisions of the Missouri Constitution and are challenging it in court.
Governor of Missouri. MIKE KEHOE CONSIDERING SPECIAL SESSION TO REDRAW CONGRESSIVE DIstricts AFTER TRUMP CALL
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters is claiming victory over Democrats’ efforts to block efforts to purge noncitizens who skip North Carolina jury duty from state voter rolls. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP)
“The people of Missouri deserve fair and equal representation, not a partisan power grab designed to silence voters and overturn a legally enacted map,” said NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson.
“The NRCC and RNC defend the integrity of the democratic process and defend the right of Missourians to be heard under fair congressional districts,” he added.
The lawsuit comes as referendum organizers and other opponents of the map filed court action on petitions that would allow Missouri voters to decide whether to restore the state’s previous congressional map. Republicans argue that certification should not occur until the state’s signature verification process is completed.
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Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe applauds as he delivers his State of the State address on Jan. 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo. (Jeff Roberson/AP)
According to the RNC, approving the referendum before the review process is completed could temporarily block implementation of the new map.
The lawsuit aims to allow the review process to proceed and ensure election laws are followed before any referendum moves forward.
The RNC also noted that Democrats and allied groups spent more than $6 million to challenge the Missouri maps in court.
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Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri expects to speak against the proposed congressional redistricting plan at a state Senate committee hearing in Jefferson City, Mo., on Sept. 11, 2025. (David A. Lieb/AP)
The case comes after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 last month that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map — redrawn to create a second majority-black district — constituted an illegal racial gerrymander.
Supporters of the Missouri map argue that the decision strengthens limits on the use of race in congressional redistricting. Voting rights advocates and other legal experts offered mixed interpretations of the decision’s broader implications for future redistricting cases.
The RNC cited the decision as reaffirming that states cannot draw congressional maps based heavily on race and that state legislatures have broad authority to draw districts that reflect the political preferences of their residents.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed the new congressional map into law last year. Republicans believe the map could help the GOP win an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. While critics claim the map is designed to increase Republicans’ electoral advantage and reduce the influence of some interest groups, supporters of the map deny these claims.
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President Donald Trump praised the map in a Truth Social post at the time, calling it “GREAT” and saying it would “help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
