The Missouri Supreme Court found Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt on Thursday for directing local election officials to use a Republican-drawn congressional map the court had explicitly barred, capping a chaotic week-long legal fight over which district lines will govern this fall's midterm elections.
Dueling Court Orders
The dispute centers on two competing maps: a 2022 version currently favored by the state's highest court, and a more Republican-leaning map passed by the legislature in 2025 that critics say was designed to help oust a Democratic congressman in the state's 5th District. After Hoskins emailed local election officials Thursday instructing them to use the 2025 map, citing a federal court order, the Missouri Supreme Court hauled him back for a contempt hearing the same day.
How He Avoided Further Sanction
Hours before the hearing, the US Supreme Court denied a Republican effort to keep the 2025 map in place, prompting Hoskins to reverse course and direct officials to use the 2022 map instead. Missouri Chief Justice W. Brent Powell ruled that while Hoskins had been in contempt of the court's earlier order, he had since "purged himself of contempt" by complying with the state court's directive following the federal ruling.
A Fight Over Voter Power
The legal battle traces back to a petition drive led by the group People Not Politicians, which gathered enough signatures to force a statewide referendum on the 2025 map, a step that under Missouri law puts the map on hold until voters weigh in this November. Hoskins had initially resisted putting the measure on the ballot, arguing redistricting plans should not be subject to a public vote, an argument the state's high court rejected.
What Happens Next
With Missouri's first ballots set to go out to voters on September 19, the 2022 map will govern this fall's congressional elections for now, though the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has set an expedited schedule to hear a separate federal appeal in the case. Attorneys on both sides say further legal maneuvering is likely before the dispute is fully resolved, keeping Missouri's congressional lines in legal limbo even as the clock runs down to the midterms.