Answering President Trump’s request for states to help Republicans maintain U.S. House majority, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe wants to draw a new map.
Texas Senate passes Trump-backed redistricting bill
The Texas Senate approved the GOP-favored voting map that could flip five seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
- Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe called a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map.
- Kehoe unveiled his “Missouri First Map,” which he claims is more compact and splits fewer counties.
- Former President Trump praised Kehoe’s proposed map, believing it will help Republicans gain an additional seat in the House.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe said he’s calling a special legislative session to draw a new voting map.
Adhering to President Trump‘s request for states to help Republicans maintain the majority in the U.S. House, Kehoe, a Republican, announced on Aug. 29 that he has ordered the General Assembly to meet for a special session to start on Sept. 3 in Jefferson City.
According to a release, Kehoe also announced the unveiling of his “Missouri First Map,” a rendering that he calls “a more compact, contiguous proposed map” drawn and created by his team for state Assembly members to consider.
Kehoe said the map splits fewer counties and municipalities than the current one, preserves two congressional districts as currently drawn, and retains every member of Missouri’s congressional delegation to their current districts.
“Today, I am calling on the General Assembly to take action on congressional redistricting and initiative petition reform to ensure our districts and Constitution truly put Missouri values first,” Kehoe said in a statement. “This is about clarity for voters and ownership of our future, and I hope the legislature will work together to pass our Missouri First Map and critically needed IP reform.”
Missouri’s move comes more than a week after California lawmakers approved Democratic-led redistricting maps for voters to decide in a special election, a day after Texas House Republicans passed new redistricting plans.
Texas lawmakers passed their new map that Republicans believe will help them win five more seats. Democrats argue the new districts diminish Black and Latino voting rights. In response, California Democrats passed a redistricting plan that could flip five Republican seats Democratic. California voters will have to approve the temporary in a special election in November.
Missouri’s proposed redistricting addresses initiative petition reform
In addition to proposed congressional redistricting, Missouri’s special session will address initiative petition reform, Kehoe said.
According to a press release by Kehoe’s office, the governor will also introduce legislation that:
- “Bans foreign nationals from contributing to committees for or against a statewide ballot measure.
- Establishes a criminal election offense for fraudulently signing or gathering signatures for a statewide ballot measure.
- Provides that a statewide ballot measure be passed only if a majority of voters statewide and a majority of voters in each congressional district vote to adopt the proposed measure.
- Requires that before a statewide ballot measure is certified for signatures to be gathered, there shall be an opportunity for public comment.
- Requires that the full text of a statewide ballot measure be printed and available to voters at all election sites and polling places.”
The governor said the new legislation will put the power back in the hands of Missouri voters.
“For far too long, Missouri’s Constitution has been the victim of out-of-state special interests who deceive voters to pass out-of-touch policies,” Kehoe said. “It’s time we give voters a chance to protect our Constitution.”
Trump praises Kehoe for new Missouri map proposal
Kehoe’s announcement drew praise from Trump in a lengthy Truth Social post on Aug. 29. The president said the governor’s special session “will begin the passage of a new, much fairer, and much improved, Congressional Map.”
The proposed map “will give the incredible people of Missouri the tremendous opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections — A HUGE VICTORY for our America First Agenda, not just in the “Show-Me State,” but across our Nation,” Trump wrote.
“Remember, I won the 2024 Presidential Election in a landslide, won ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, THE POPULAR VOTE, AND ALL FIFTY STATES SHIFTED REPUBLICAN, a record, and now I have the best polling numbers I’ve ever had,” Trump wrote. “Our Party has never been more UNITED, and we are getting so much done for the American People because of it, and, therefore, I call on all of my Republican friends in the Missouri Legislature to work as fast as they can to get this new Congressional Map, AS IS, to Governor Mike Kehoe’s desk, ASAP.
“THANK YOU, MISSOURI – MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump concluded.
