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Score another victory for President Donald Trump in the high-stakes political battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting.
GOP Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri on Sunday signed into law a new congressional map, Missouri First, that is likely to hand Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of next year’s midterms elections.
Missouri, once considered a swing state that has dramatically shifted to the right over the past decade and a half, is the latest battleground in the congressional redistricting showdown after the passage of new maps in GOP-dominated Texas and a redistricting push by Democrats in heavily blue California.
“I was proud to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law today ahead of the 2026 midterm election,” Kehoe said in a statement. “We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk.”
TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND
Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri, applauds while delivering the State of the State address Jan. 28, 2025, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
Trump, in a social media statement following passage in the GOP-dominated state legislature, called the new map “FANTASTIC” and said it “will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”
The new map targets longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The new map would likely flip Cleaver’s seat and give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in the state’s House delegation.
Cleaver has vowed to take legal action if the new map is signed into law by the governor.
“I want to warn all of us that if you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’re going to…
