Missouri’s new gerrymander might be overturned by voters : NPR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Recently, on any given day, you will discover Leann Villaluz knocking on doorways round Kansas Metropolis to get folks to signal a petition that may let voters resolve the destiny of the state’s new congressional map.

“There is a sense of resentment, even to common voters who aren’t as concerned,” Villaluz says. “We have now to choose up the slack for representatives who’ve been elected to do their easy obligation and perform the desire of the voters. As an alternative, they assume that we do not know what’s greatest for ourselves.”

Missouri is the second state within the nation, alongside Texas, to gerrymander its congressional map after President Donald Trump set off a nationwide redistricting battle in July to attempt to preserve management of the U.S. Home within the 2026 midterms.

A number of different states, together with North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Ohio and Kansas may quickly observe. California is attempting to counter the Republican effort by redistricting in favor of Democrats, if voters go a constitutional modification subsequent month.

Missouri’s Republican Governor, Mike Kehoe, signed the brand new map into regulation late final month. The state had six Republicans and two Democrats in Congress, however the brand new plan targets longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II’s seat in Kansas Metropolis.

Leann Villaluz (proper) has been going door to door for weeks to gather signatures for a petition to place Missouri’s new congressional map to voters. She says most individuals she’s talked to are keen to signal.

Savannah Hawley-Bates/KCUR

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Savannah Hawley-Bates/KCUR

However with Villaluz and about 3,000 different volunteers, a gaggle referred to as Folks Not Politicians Missouri is working to overturn the state’s new map. In the event that they’re profitable in getting greater than 106,000 signatures throughout the state by December 11, a referendum will go on the poll in 2026 for voters to resolve whether or not to need to maintain or reject it.

The group says it is already gathered greater than 100,000 signatures and continues to be accumulating extra. In the event that they get the signatures they want, the referendum would stall the map till voters weigh in subsequent yr.

Villaluz says everybody she’s spoken to has been excited to signal. She’s visited 5 neighborhoods thus far round Kansas Metropolis, which might be break up into three Republican-leaning districts below the brand new map. Villaluz even took her petition to the current Chappell Roan live performance to get signatures.

“Nearly anybody that stops and hears what the petition is about is prepared and keen to signal,” Villaluz says. “No matter your vote is, it’ll be diluted with the maps, and no one desires that.”

Missouri legal professional basic and secretary of state combat again 

Not solely does Folks Not Politicians Missouri have to assemble sufficient signatures, it additionally has to tackle pushback from high state election officers. The state’s Legal professional Common Catherine Hanaway filed a lawsuit in federal court docket arguing {that a} referendum on redistricting violates each the U.S. and Missouri constitutions.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins did approve the group’s referendum petition this week after initially rejecting it. However in a press launch, Hoskins claims that not one of the signatures gathered earlier than his approval date are legitimate.

“The method is evident,” Hoskins stated within the launch. “Each Missourian deserves confidence that poll measures observe the regulation — not out-of-state agendas or confusion campaigns. Missouri values equity and integrity, and this course of displays that.”

The chief director of Folks Not Politicians Missouri, Richard von Glahn, stated in an announcement that Hoskins is “intentionally spreading misinformation for political functions,” and that, in accordance with the state structure, the group was allowed to start gathering signatures earlier than the secretary of state’s approval.

A gaggle referred to as Folks Not Politicians Missouri has been working to assemble signatures to overturn Missouri’s new congressional map. Signers have to go away one column on the petition, their congressional district, clean, as a result of with the map modifications, many do not know which district they’re in.

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Savannah Hawley-Bates/KCUR

“Our marketing campaign has gathered signatures at a historic tempo — I’ve by no means seen Missourians unite and mobilize this shortly,” von Glahn stated within the assertion. “We is not going to be intimidated or distracted. This referendum will qualify, and Missourians — not politicians — will resolve the way forward for truthful illustration in our state.”

The Democratic Nationwide Committee has joined the referendum effort and is contributing extra workers and cash to the trigger. A slew of lawsuits have additionally been filed difficult the brand new districts.

A authorized effort, too 

Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan is among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that seeks to dam Hoskins from utilizing the map to carry a congressional major or basic election and argues mid-decade redistricting with out a new census is unconstitutional.

“My very own voting energy could be watered down,” Amezcua-Hogan says. “I’d really feel like I am not being represented. And I feel that at the very least personally, for the problems which are near my coronary heart that I have been engaged on for years, it will be extremely discouraging.”

Amezcua-Hogan is operating as a progressive for the Kansas Metropolis Council. The world she desires to symbolize could be break up into three totally different congressional districts if the brand new map holds. When she talks to voters for her marketing campaign, Amezcua-Hogan can be gathering signatures for the referendum effort.

She says Kansas Metropolis is already competing for federal sources and splitting it up into three districts will solely make that harder.

“Kansas Metropolis is already at a degree the place we’re coping with lack of inexpensive housing, lack of psychological well being sources, lack of transportation,” says Amezcua-Hogan. “It already seems like we’re preventing an uphill battle, and that uphill battle is simply going to worsen.”

Most, however not all Republicans, are on board

Lawmakers convene in a unprecedented legislative session on the Missouri State Capitol on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Jefferson Metropolis, Mo.

Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio

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Brian Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio

Missouri’s new congressional map simply handed the Republican-dominated Missouri Legislature in its week-long particular session.

Michael Davis represents a suburb south of Kansas Metropolis and is among the lawmakers who championed the brand new map. He is a part of the state’s Freedom Caucus, a gaggle of Republican legislators who goal to push the get together additional to the appropriate.

Davis says Missourians elected Republican lawmakers as a result of they belief them to do what they assume is greatest with redistricting.

“We must always ship a conservative message to D.C.,” Davis says. “One of the simplest ways to try this is by sending seven Republicans who’re going to make sure that Republicans maintain management of the U.S. Home of Representatives.”

However 15 Republicans — together with Jon Patterson, the speaker of the Missouri Home — voted in opposition to the map within the state legislature. Practically all of them are from elements of the state focused by redistricting or in areas that may be moved into new districts.

Republican state Rep. Invoice Allen represents part of Kansas Metropolis’s northland that’s evenly break up between events. He opposes mid-decade redistricting and stated he was disenchanted that Missouri appeared to observe Texas and Trump’s lead in doing so.

“I feel I heard from one or two constituents that wished me to vote in favor, and virtually each different one which I heard was in opposition,” Allen says. “The job of the consultant is to symbolize the district, not the get together, actually not the president. Simply the district that I symbolize, the 39,000 folks. Their will is my accountability.”

Villaluz says she plans to maintain gathering signatures for the following two months, till the group finds out if it has finished sufficient to place redistricting on the poll and probably reverse Missouri’s gerrymandered map.

“I really feel that Missouri is used as a guinea pig by the GOP,” says Villaluz. “They assume that the typical Missouri voter is dumber than we’re, and so they assume that they’ll get away with much more right here in a crimson flyover state, however that is not the case.”

Villaluz says voters throughout Missouri will not stand idly by, and she or he believes they’re going to get the final phrase.