Missouri Judge Approves GOP-Drawn Congressional Map

0:00A Missouri Judge ruled Friday that the state's new congressional map can be used for the November 3, 2026 election. The decision keeps a Republican drawn plan in place, one that splits Kansas City into three districts, leaning toward the GOP. This sets up a direct challenge to longtime Democratic congressman, Emmanuel Cleaver, from the Urban Corps. The map came from a special session last year pushed by Republican leaders. It redraws lines through Kansas City, pulling in rural areas far east and using historic boundaries to shift voters. Officials say it matches Missouri's overall Republican lean. Reactions poured in quickly. The ACLU of Missouri, which sued to stop the map, plans an immediate appeal and calls it a blow to voter rights. Republicans hailed it as a victory, with their attorney general posting that the Missouri first map stays intact. The two GOP candidates have already filed to run and Cleaver's redrawn district. Now a referendum drive with over 300,000 signatures waits for certification from Republican

1:03Secretary of State, Dine Haaskins. He might approve it for the ballot, but argue it's too late to change the map for this cycle. Appeals courts will likely decide the map's long-term fate. Meanwhile, the Missouri Supreme Court hears arguments soon on whether mid-decade redistricting was even legal, leaving the whole process up in the air. As election season ramps up, local news, powered by AI, this is Kansas News Today.