Missouri's redistricting battle escalated ahead of the US midterm elections, with the state's Supreme Court issuing a subpoena on Thursday summoning local government officials for a hearing over alleged defiance of a prior court order.
The high court accused the administration of disregarding its ruling that barred use of a new electoral map backed by former President Donald Trump. Despite that prohibition, state authorities had directed lower-level election offices to proceed with drawing up the revised districts.
The legal confusion stems from competing judicial rulings. A district judge had previously issued a preliminary injunction ordering retention of the new district boundaries, which were already used during recent primaries. The judge cited a deadline expiry for finalizing ballot texts at the time of his ruling, which would have required reverting to the existing September 2025 map as the legal baseline.
Critics argue the Trump-endorsed redistricting plan in Missouri—a Midwestern state of roughly 6.3 million people—favors Republican candidates. Similar new district maps have been adopted in several other states, intensifying what Democrats call a partisan gerrymandering effort.
On Nov. 3, US voters will decide the composition of the House of Representatives and roughly a third of Senate seats. Republicans aim to defend their narrow majorities in both chambers. Losing control would significantly complicate the legislative agenda for President Trump.
