NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) filed a lawsuit Thursday defending Missouri’s new congressional map.
The RNC told Fox News Digital that the lawsuit is intended to intervene as Democrats ramp up what Republicans describe as a national campaign to block restrictive redistricting laws.
“Democrats across the country are using frivolous lawsuits to cling to power after failing to get to the ballot box,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “The RNC is fighting for the values of Missourians against Democrats who are trying to use the courts to manipulate congressional districts in their favor and overturn the will of the voters.”
The RNC said the new congressional map, established by the Missouri General Assembly last year, fully complies with the state constitution. Opponents of the map dispute that claim and have argued in court that the plan violates provisions of the Missouri Constitution.
MISSOURI GOV. MIKE KEHOE CONSIDERS SPECIAL SESSION TO REDEEM CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AFTER BEAT TRUMP
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters says he has succeeded in Democrats’ efforts to block attempts to kick non-citizens who skip their judgeships in North Carolina from the state’s voter rolls. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP)
“The people of Missouri deserve fair and equitable representation, not a partial power grab designed to silence voters and overturn a legally mandated map,” said NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson.
“The NRCC and RNC stand for the integrity of the democratic process and protect the right of Missourians to have their voices heard under fair districts,” he added.
The lawsuit comes as pollsters and other map advocates seek court action related to the appeals that would allow Missouri voters to decide whether to reinstate the previous federal map. Republicans argue that certification should not happen before the state’s signature verification process is completed.
MISSOURI HOUSE ENDORSES RECONSTRUCTION PLAN AS PART OF NATIONWIDE GOP PASS TO DEFENSE GREATER HOUSE
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe receives applause as he delivers the State of the State address in Jefferson City, Mo., on Jan. 28, 2025. (Jeff Roberson/AP)
According to the RNC, confirming the poll before the review process is completed could temporarily block the implementation of the new map.
The lawsuit seeks to allow the review process to continue and ensure that election laws are followed before any referendum goes ahead.
The RNC also said that Democrats and coalition parties have already spent more than $6 million unsuccessfully challenging Missouri’s maps in court.
TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN SITUATION INTO NEXT LIVESTOCK
Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri waits to speak against a proposed congressional impeachment inquiry plan before a state Senate committee in Jefferson City, Mo., on September 11, 2025. (David A. Lieb/AP)
The case comes after the Supreme Court last month ruled 6-3 that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map — redrawn to create a second black district — included an illegal racial gerrymander.
Supporters of the Missouri map say the decision tightens restrictions on the use of race in congressional redistricting. Voting rights advocates and other legal experts offered different interpretations of the ruling’s broader implications for future redistricting cases.
The RNC pointed to the decision, saying it reaffirmed that states cannot draw congressional maps based primarily on race and that state legislatures have broad authority to draw districts that reflect the preferences of local residents.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the new congressional map into law last year. Republicans believe the map could help the GOP pick up an additional US House seat during the 2026 midterms. Critics argue that the map is designed to increase Republican electoral gains and reduce the influence of certain communities of interest, allegations that supporters of the map reject.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
President Donald Trump praised the map in a Truth Social post at the time, calling it “FANTASTIC” and saying it would “help send MAGA Republicans to Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.”
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
