President Donald Trump scored a major midterm win Wednesday after a Missouri judge cleared the way for the state to use newly drawn Republican-friendly congressional districts in November.
Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green rejected an effort to force the new map onto the statewide ballot, handing Republicans an important victory as they fight to protect their narrow majority in the U.S. House.
The ruling backs Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who previously rejected a petition signed by thousands of voters seeking a November referendum on the congressional boundaries.
Hoskins argued that the Missouri Constitution does not allow voters to overturn congressional redistricting through a referendum.
Green agreed.
“The Missouri Constitution does not supply any statement — let alone a clear one — reallocating authority over congressional redistricting away from the General Assembly to a referendum process,” Green wrote in the ruling.
The decision means the new districts, which were already used during Missouri’s August primaries, will remain in place for the November general election unless a higher court intervenes.
🚨 BIG WIN IN MISSOURI
Cole County Judge Daniel Green just ruled:
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was right.The Trump-backed congressional map stands for November.
The attempt to force a referendum is blocked at the trial court level.
This is not the final word, appeal is… pic.twitter.com/XKFBo7Gefz
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) August 19, 2026
Opponents immediately announced plans to appeal the ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court.
“Everyone knows that Cole County is not the final decision here,” said Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, who sued to try to place the new map on the ballot. “After months of delay, we are pleased to be moving forward to the Missouri Supreme Court to enforce our constitutional rights.”
Missouri currently sends six Republicans and two Democrats to the U.S. House.
POLL: Will You Support Trump And His Candidates In The Midterms?
But Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special redistricting session last year after Trump urged GOP-controlled states to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The new Missouri map puts Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-based seat squarely in Republican crosshairs.
Portions of Kansas City were shifted into neighboring Republican-held districts, while the remainder of Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District was stretched east into heavily Republican rural territory.
About 59% of the voters in the reshaped district are new to the 5th District, according to an Associated Press estimate.
Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin won the GOP primary for the district earlier this month, while Cleaver ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Republicans had argued that changing congressional boundaries after the primary would create chaos and undermine confidence in the election.
John Gore, an attorney representing national, congressional and state Republican committees, warned that switching maps before November would cause “widespread voter confusion” and an “erosion in confidence in the integrity of the state’s elections.”
Green sided with that argument as well, ruling that changing districts after candidates had already competed in the primary would violate federal law.
The fight is part of a much larger redistricting battle unfolding across the country ahead of the midterms.
Missouri became the second Republican-led state after Texas to respond to Donald Trump‘s push for new congressional maps. North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama have also enacted new districts.
Republicans hope the changes could produce as many as 16 additional House seats across eight states.
Democrats have launched their own counteroffensive, including new maps in California and Utah, although those efforts have faced legal and political setbacks.
Missouri‘s redistricting battle has already produced roughly a dozen lawsuits over the past year, and Wednesday’s ruling is unlikely to be the final word.
For now, however, the Trump-backed map remains intact for November, giving Republicans another potentially valuable advantage in the battle for control of Congress.
