Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the state’s new congressional map into law, which is expected to grant Republicans an additional House seat in the 2026 midterm election. The revised map redraws the Kansas City-area district currently represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, splitting it and redistributing its boundaries.
“The Missouri First Map ensures our conservative, common-sense values are truly reflected at all levels of government,” Kehoe stated. The new map incorporates rural regions currently served by Republican Reps. Bob Onder and Mark Alford into Cleaver’s district while reconfiguring other areas across the state.
The legislation passed during a special session convened by Kehoe, aligning Missouri with Texas and California in a wave of redistricting efforts linked to President Donald Trump’s political agenda. “I was proud to sign the Missouri First Map into law ahead of the 2026 midterm election,” Kehoe said. He credited state legislators, congressional leaders, and Trump for advancing the map.
Trump praised the measure on social media, labeling it “FANTASTIC” and asserting it would secure an extra MAGA Republican seat in Congress. The revised district targeting Cleaver’s Kansas City-area representation shifts its boundaries eastward to include rural right-leaning voters, potentially flipping his seat and giving Republicans a 7-1 majority in Missouri’s House delegation.
Cleaver has threatened legal action against the law, warning, “If you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’re going to have left is ashes.” He testified before a Missouri Senate committee earlier this month, expressing opposition to the map’s implementation.