The Supreme Court declined to hear a Republican challenge to Missouri's congressional map, effectively preserving a Democratic-leaning district that GOP mapmakers had sought to eliminate. The decision, announced without comment, allows the existing map to stand and protects what strategists view as a competitive seat Democrats can defend in the 2022 midterm elections.
Missouri Republicans had argued that the current congressional boundaries violated state law and the state constitution. They proposed a new map that would have consolidated Democratic voters into fewer districts, a technique known as "packing," to create more safe Republican seats. The party contended the existing map lacked proper justification and deviated from state redistricting principles.
The Supreme Court's refusal to take the case amounts to a victory for Democrats and Missouri voting rights groups that defended the current map in lower courts. The move signals the Court will not intervene in state-level redistricting disputes at this stage of the midterm cycle, though the justices offered no written explanation for their decision.
The practical effect protects a House seat in Missouri's fifth congressional district, currently held by a Democrat or vulnerable to Democratic gains. With control of the House hanging in the balance heading into November 2022, every competitive seat matters. Republicans hold the chamber but face headwinds from historically normal midterm patterns that typically favor the opposition party when a president is not on the ballot.
Redistricting has become a central battleground in American politics. After the 2020 census, states redrew congressional districts, and Republicans controlled the process in more states than Democrats. The GOP mapped out gains in multiple states, though some maps faced court challenges on partisan gerrymandering or voting rights grounds.
Missouri presents a test case for how courts handle partisan redistricting claims. The state legislature, controlled by Republicans, passed their preferred map. Democrats challenged it before the state Supreme Court, which rejected the GOP map and ordered the state to use an alternative set of boundaries.
Republicans then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, hoping the conservative majority would side with them. The Court's decision to reject the appeal without taking up the case suggests either insufficient consensus among the justices or a determination that state court rulings on state law require no federal intervention.
The outcome reflects broader uncertainty about the Supreme Court's appetite for redistricting fights, particularly those involving state constitutional law rather than federal claims. Chief Justice John Roberts has expressed skepticism about federal courts policing partisan gerrymandering, yet the Court has left room for voting rights challenges under the Voting Rights Act.
For Democrats, the Missouri decision provides relief as they navigate a difficult midterm landscape. President Joe Biden's approval rating has declined, inflation pressures voters, and the party typically loses House seats in a president's first midterm. Holding competitive seats like Missouri's fifth becomes essential to minimizing losses or achieving unexpected gains.
The Supreme Court's hands-off approach here contrasts with its willingness to intervene in other electoral disputes. The decision leaves redistricting battles primarily to state courts and legislatures, at least for now, though the 2024 census and subsequent redistricting cycle may present new legal questions.