{"id":24265,"date":"2026-08-20T05:02:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T05:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=24265"},"modified":"2026-08-20T05:02:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T05:02:57","slug":"missouri-judge-upholds-gop-map-and-blocks-redistricting-referendum-for-trump-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=24265","title":{"rendered":"Missouri judge upholds GOP map and blocks redistricting referendum for Trump win"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">A Missouri judge handed President Donald Trump and Republicans a major redistricting victory Wednesday, ruling that the state&#8217;s referendum process cannot be used to challenge congressional maps drawn by the Legislature and allowing a new GOP-friendly map to remain in place for November&#8217;s midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Wednesday that Missouri&#8217;s constitutional referendum provisions &#8220;do not apply to congressional redistricting enacted by the General Assembly,&#8221; siding with Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in a closely watched fight over a Trump-backed map that could help determine control of the U.S. House.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Green also ruled that Hoskins&#8217; decision not to certify the referendum petition was &#8220;lawful&#8221; and ordered that the Republican-backed congressional map &#8220;remains in full force and effect for the 2026 general election.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><strong>TRUMP ALLIES NOTCH REDISTRICTING WIN AS JUDGES FIND NO &#8216;SMOKING GUN&#8217; TO SCRAP RED STATE MAP<\/strong><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/missouri-capitol-redistricting-protest.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Woman in Handmaids Tale costume stands in Missouri Capitol rotunda during protest.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>A woman wears a &#8220;The Handmaid&#8217;s Tale&#8221; costume as protesters demonstrate against the state&#8217;s redistricting maps inside the rotunda of the Missouri Capitol Building in Jefferson City, Mo.<\/span> <span>(Michael Thomas\/Getty Images, File)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Plaintiff Richard von Glahn appealed the ruling Wednesday evening, according to the court docket.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The ruling preserves a map passed by Missouri&#8217;s Republican-led Legislature after Trump urged GOP-controlled states to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The new boundaries are aimed at giving Republicans an opportunity to defeat Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City. Missouri&#8217;s current eight-member House delegation consists of six Republicans and two Democrats.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The map splits portions of Kansas City between neighboring Republican-held districts and stretches the remainder of Cleaver&#8217;s 5th Congressional District east into Republican-heavy rural areas. About 59% of voters in the reshaped district are new to it, according to an Associated Press estimate.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><strong>TRUMP URGES REPUBLICANS TO &#8216;BE BOLD&#8217; AS RED STATES PUSH TO REWRITE CONGRESSIONAL MAPS<\/strong><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/343\/192\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/686\/384\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/672\/378\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1344\/756\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/931\/523\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1862\/1046\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/720\/405\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1440\/810\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1200\/675\/donald-trump-president.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"President Donald Trump\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>A Missouri judge handed President Donald Trump and Republicans a major redistricting victory Wednesday,<\/span> <span>(Will Oliver\/EPA\/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin won the GOP primary in the redrawn district earlier this month, while Cleaver was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The new boundaries were already used in Missouri&#8217;s August primaries.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Opponents collected thousands of signatures seeking to force a statewide referendum on the map, but Hoskins rejected the petition, arguing that Missouri&#8217;s Constitution does not allow congressional redistricting to be put to a referendum.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Green agreed, entering judgment for Hoskins and the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee and Missouri Republican State Committee, which intervened in the case.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><strong>BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES<\/strong><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/anti-redistricting-protesters-missouri.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Missouri Sen. Doug Beck speaks during a press conference inside the Capitol rotunda.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Missouri state Sen. Doug Beck speaks during a news conference inside the rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City, Mo., last year about the state&#8217;s redistricting map plan ahead of the midterm elections.<\/span> <span>(Michael Thomas\/Getty Images, File)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The Missouri fight is part of a broader national redistricting battle ahead of November.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session last year after Trump urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the midterms.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Missouri became the second Republican-led state, after Texas, to pursue new congressional boundaries as part of that push.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Green&#8217;s ruling leaves the Trump-backed map in place while the case moves to the appeals court.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital&#8217;s request for comment.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Jasmine Baehr is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, legal debates surrounding life and family policy, as well as faith and culture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Missouri judge handed President Donald Trump&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}