NRF Statement on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Decision in Mid-Decade Gerrymander Case
Washington, D.C. – Today, Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), issued the following statement in response to the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision in Healey v. Missouri, which upheld the state’s mid-decade congressional gerrymander:
“The arguments in this case, which were presented before the Missouri Supreme Court just this morning, took less than an hour and elicited zero questions from the court for the lawyers for either the plaintiffs or defendants. While one might be inclined to hope that these justices managed to grapple with a highly complex, nuanced and consequential issue in just six hours, it seems clear the justices were not interested in the day’s proceedings and simply had their opinion already finalized even before this morning’s argument. With this decision, the Missouri Supreme Court has shown Missourians the lack of seriousness with which it takes cases that pertain to protecting their right to vote—a complete and dangerous abdication of the judiciary’s role.”
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
Following the 2020 Census, the Missouri House and Senate rejected congressional gerrymanders that would have carved up Kansas City, and instead enacted a map that maintained the core of Kansas City in its own district, as had been the case for over a century.
However, in July 2025, public reports indicated that President Trump began pressuring Missouri Republicans to enact an unlawful mid-decade gerrymander to create another Republican-leaning district by splitting the 5th congressional district, which encompassed most of Kansas City. Despite receiving calls from constituents expressing overwhelming opposition and voters voicing their disagreement during committee hearings in both chambers, lawmakers in the Missouri House and Senate passed the proposed gerrymander, and Governor Kehoe signed the new map into law.
Immediately after the enactment of the new gerrymander, the NRF-supported voters filed their lawsuit in state court, arguing two claims: 1) that the map is an unconstitutional mid-decade redistricting, and 2) that the new map violates Missourians’ right to vote in compact congressional districts—a right guaranteed by the state constitution.
In February 2026, a trial was held before the Circuit Court of Jackson County on the non-compactness claim. In March, that court issued a decision upholding Missouri’s gerrymander and allowing it to be used in the 2026 midterm elections, which the NRF-supported voters immediately appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court.
On May 12, 2026, the Missouri Supreme Court held oral argument on the non-compactness claim. That same day, just six hours after arguments ended, the Court issued a decision affirming the lower court and allowing Missouri’s gerrymander to stay in place for the 2026 midterm elections. To learn more about the NRF’s work, click here.
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