Missouri’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that lawmakers can redraw congressional districts mid-decade, preserving a Republican-backed map approved last year and delivering a setback to Democrats in a key 2026 election battle.

The decision, issued in a 4–3 split, upheld House Bill 1, which establishes new district boundaries for Missouri’s eight congressional seats beginning with the 120th Congress on Jan. 3, 2027. Judge Zel Fischer, writing for the majority, said the Missouri Constitution does not explicitly bar legislators from redrawing maps outside the post-census redistricting cycle.

“Appellants acknowledge the Missouri Constitution does not expressly prohibit mid-decade congressional redistricting and, instead, argue the ‘Constitution denies such power by clear implication,’” Fischer wrote. He rejected that argument, adding that specifying when lawmakers must redraw districts does not prevent them from doing so at other times.

The revised map includes changes to the Kansas City-area district currently represented by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a shift Republicans believe could improve their electoral prospects in the region.

Despite the ruling, legal and political battles over the map remain ongoing. Opponents are pursuing a referendum effort to put the measure before voters, and a separate lawsuit challenges whether the new districts can be used in the 2026 elections.

Organizers opposing the redistricting effort say they have gathered enough signatures to force a statewide vote, though certification and related legal disputes are still pending.

Missouri joins a growing list of states revisiting congressional maps mid-decade. Republicans have pushed similar efforts in states such as Texas and North Carolina, while Democrats in California have also undertaken redistricting following a voter initiative. Other states, including Ohio and Utah, have already approved new maps this year, with Florida and Virginia potentially following suit before the next election cycle.