Missouri voters rejected Proposition A, leaving the state's 2022 congressional map in place after months of disputes over district boundaries. Unofficial election results from the Associated Press showed that more than 60% voted against the 2025 map, which had been backed by Trump and promoted by Republicans seeking additional congressional seats.
The rejected map was drawn in the middle of the decade. Among its most notable changes was an expansion of the 5th Congressional District from Kansas City to Jefferson City. That proposed reach was central to a dispute over how Kansas City would be represented in Congress. With Proposition A defeated, voters will continue to use the boundaries established in 2022.
Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, who has represented the 5th District for two decades, defeated Republican Rick Brattin in the contest for the seat. The district's boundaries had become part of a broader redistricting debate that occupied Missouri for months before voters weighed in on the statewide proposition.
The path to the vote included a series of legal disputes. Missouri used the 2025 map for its August primary election, but a court battle followed. A federal district court judge in St. Louis and the Missouri Supreme Court issued conflicting orders, creating uncertainty about which congressional boundaries would apply. The state Supreme Court ultimately rejected the Trump-backed map.
There had also been difficulties before the court fight. People Not Politicians collected enough signatures to put the maps before voters but encountered obstacles from Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. The petition effort gave voters the opportunity to decide whether the 2025 boundaries should stand, a question they answered by rejecting Proposition A.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas welcomed the result in a statement Tuesday night. He described the 2025 map as serving special interests and accused its supporters of focusing on adding a Republican seat while removing Kansas Citians' voice. Those criticisms reflected his opposition to the redistricting effort.
Lucas credited signature gatherers, organizers and volunteers for bringing the issue to the ballot, and judges for protecting the public's opportunity to vote on it. He also thanked voters who reached the proposition on a lengthy ballot and rejected the changes. “Tonight, democracy wins. Kansas City wins,” he said.
