Trump Pushes Missouri Toward Redistricting in Bid to Strengthen GOP Majority
President Donald J. Trump is encouraging Missouri Republicans to take bold action and redraw the state’s congressional map in order to expand the GOP’s dominance and eliminate one of the few remaining Democratic strongholds.
The move follows a sweeping victory in Texas, where state lawmakers just advanced a new redistricting plan that could secure up to five additional Republican seats in Congress. With Democrats already clinging to a shrinking minority, Trump and GOP leaders see Missouri as the next battlefield in ensuring conservative representation in Washington.
A New Map in the Works
According to the Springfield News-Leader, a draft congressional map for Missouri is already circulating—though it has not yet been released to the public. Reports suggest the plan originated in Washington, D.C., signaling coordination between the Trump White House, the Republican National Committee, and state leaders.
Jennifer Bukowsky, vice chair of the Missouri Republican State Committee, confirmed Wednesday that she has not yet reviewed the proposal but expects a special session to be called once party leadership agrees on a strategy.
The map is expected to target the 5th Congressional District, currently held by longtime Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, by reshaping the boundaries around Kansas City to bring in more Republican voters. If successful, the GOP would secure seven of Missouri’s eight seats — an overwhelming majority that would further insulate conservatives from Democratic obstruction.
Protecting the House Majority
The push comes as Republicans hold a narrow 219–212 edge in the House, with four vacancies — three of them from Democrat-held districts. Even a small shift in voter sentiment could threaten the majority, making redistricting a vital tool for safeguarding conservative influence.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe underscored this urgency during a press conference Tuesday.
“Our goal, if we move forward — and there’s no decision to move forward — is to make sure Missouri’s values are reflected in Washington, D.C.,” Kehoe said. “And I’ve said many times that I think our current speaker does a very good job of matching the values of Missourians.”
GOP Strategy Sessions Ahead
State Rep. Barry Hovis revealed that Missouri lawmakers will hold two caucus meetings during the legislature’s veto session beginning September 10. One will focus on potential veto overrides, while the other will address redistricting.
Hovis noted that Missouri Republicans are watching how Democrat-controlled states such as California, Illinois, and New York respond to Texas’s redistricting gains. He highlighted glaring examples of Democratic gerrymandering, such as Illinois’s snake-like districts and Massachusetts, where Republicans routinely win significant shares of the vote yet hold zero congressional seats.
Still, Hovis acknowledged the challenge of balancing the map to maximize Republican advantage without unintentionally endangering existing GOP seats.
“If we go to the Kansas City model, the one that I saw when we did this several years ago, we’re going to have some districts that could be more purple than red, and we could end up being 5-3, real easy, or worst case scenario, 4-4,” he warned.
Bukowsky added that incumbents are often the most resistant to change since they want to protect their base of familiar voters, while challengers favor maps that bring in constituencies more aligned with their platforms.
The Road Ahead
Missouri’s current map, adopted in 2022 after an internal GOP dispute, left some conservatives frustrated that party leaders failed to secure seven solidly Republican districts. With Democrats promising to filibuster any new plan, passing a stronger map will require unity and determination from Republicans in both chambers.
For President Trump and GOP leaders, the fight is clear: fortify Missouri’s delegation, defend the House majority, and prevent Democrats from regaining ground in 2026.