Another Red State Will Seek To Add GOP Seat In Redistricting Bid: Report
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is weighing a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional districts, telling reporters Friday that while a final decision has not yet been made, the process is moving forward.
“When we’re ready to make that announcement, we’ll get it out there,” Kehoe said during a visit to the Missouri Soybean Association headquarters, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “There are a lot of moving puzzle pieces. We’re still making sure what’s going to work is going to work.”
The move comes amid a broader Republican effort to fortify the party’s congressional strength ahead of the 2026 midterms — an effort being led by President Donald J. Trump himself.
Missouri currently has eight House seats, two of which are held by Democrats. GOP leaders are targeting the Kansas City-based 5th District, which could be reconfigured to favor Republicans and deliver another seat for the president’s America First agenda.
Other GOP-led states are already making moves. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a redrawn map that is expected to net Republicans up to five new seats in Congress, despite predictable lawsuits from Democrat-aligned groups.
Meanwhile, Democrats in California — often quick to lecture others about “fair maps” — are maneuvering to bypass their own voter-approved independent redistricting board. Under pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Assembly has advanced a ballot measure that would allow Democrats to gerrymander an additional 4–5 seats, underscoring the double standard in how the left approaches redistricting.
President Trump has made it clear that Missouri is part of his strategy to expand GOP control.
“The Great State of Missouri is now IN. I’m not surprised… We’re going to win the Midterms in Missouri again, bigger and better than ever before!” Trump declared on Truth Social last week.
Democrats, sensing the momentum, have already turned to their fundraising machine. Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Russ Carnahan claimed Republicans were trying to “rig the rules,” framing the redistricting effort as a threat to voters. But with a GOP supermajority in Jefferson City and Trump’s direct backing, Democrats face an uphill battle.
Adding to the energy, House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed on Fox News that President Trump recently suggested holding a presidential-style Republican National Convention shortly before the midterms.
“I was in Detroit yesterday morning. He called me 15 minutes before that truth and he said, ‘Mike, I’ve got a great idea.’ Let’s have it. I’m so excited about this. I said, ‘Mr. President, let’s go,’” Johnson said. “Because I think that would be such a great rallying point right before the midterm election for us to tout all the great successes we’ve had.”
Trump doubled down earlier this week in a Truth Social post, touting GOP fundraising, grassroots momentum, and the nation’s steady recovery under his leadership.
“We have raised far more money than the Democrats, and are having a great time fixing all of the Country Destroying mistakes made by the Biden Administration, and watching the USA heal and prosper,” the president wrote.
With new maps in the works, a proposed pre-midterm convention, and a unified Republican agenda, Missouri is shaping up as another frontline state where Trump’s America First movement could expand its majority and solidify its mandate heading into 2026.