Supreme Court has twice sided against the Trump-backed map
A federal appeals panel ruled Monday in favor of new congressional districts backed by Donald Trump in Missouri’s November election, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has already twice sided against the same map. The decision adds a new ruling to a long-running legal fight over the state’s congressional boundaries.
The three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said reverting to Missouri’s prior districts for the general election would violate the U.S. Constitution, but delayed the effect of its order for one week to allow for an appeal. Because of the stay, Missouri’s November election will continue to use the same congressional districts used in 2024 and 2022, following prior decisions by both the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Those districts differ from the new Republican-drawn map the state used in its August primary. The U.S. Supreme Court has already twice sided against the Trump-backed map and had blocked enforcement of a lower court order favoring the map pending a potential appeal and eventual decision by the high court. Local elections officials have already sent absentee ballots to overseas citizens and military voters using the 2022 and 2024 districts, and state law requires ballots for other voters by Tuesday.
The 8th Circuit’s ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has sided against the Trump-backed map twice. The high court would have the final say on whether the new districts take effect in the November election.