Missouri Republicans are considering dismantling the congressional district of one of the state’s two Black congressmen to gain another conservative seat, prompting a swift rebuke from the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus and other Democratic leaders.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who represents the possibly endangered district, said the effort to take the seat from Black residents pushes the nation “further and further away from the democratic ideal.”
“I think this is absolutely awful what they’re doing, it’s not helpful or wholesome for our democracy,” Cleaver told Politico. He said Democrats in states like California and New York would have no choice but respond in kind.
Republican leaders in Jefferson City are considering asking Gov. Mike Kehoe to hold a special session in September to redraw the congressional boundaries.
Although no official map has been released, Kehoe has said he is open to the idea of redrawing Missouri’s congressional map. In July, Gabrielle Picard, a spokeswoman for Kehoe told reporters, “discussions are always being held to ensure that conservative Missouri values are represented in Washington.”
Similar redistricting pushes are underway elsewhere. In Texas, a major effort to redraw political boundaries gained momentum after advisers to President Donald Trump encouraged lawmakers to secure more Republican seats in Congress. More than 50 Democratic legislators fled the state to block the GOP’s proposed map.
The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus made clear its opposition to the move during a press conference Monday. One of the speakers, Rev. Darryl Gray, director of general social justice at the Progressive National Baptist Convention, warned against ceding ground to Trump.
“When we allow politicians like Donald Trump to have their way, they don’t just have their way with Black and brown people — he has his way with all of them.”
State Rep. Yolanda Fountain Henderson, vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said she hopes “the governor does not hold a special session and waste the taxpayers’ money.”
Missouri last redrew its congressional districts in May 2022, as required every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The state’s U.S. House delegation includes six Republicans and two Democrats — both Black, with Cleaver representing the Fifth District and Wesley Bell the First.
The conversation in Missouri is centered on dividing Cleaver’s District, which encompasses almost all of Kansas City and some suburbs in Jackson and Clay counties. Bell’s district includes all of St. Louis City and parts of St. Louis County.
“I think Democrats are going to be required not only by their constituency, but by the demands of democracy, to fight back,” Cleaver said.
Democratic governors Gavin Newsom in California and Kathy Hochul in New York have promised to launch their own retaliatory redistricting plans if Texas passes the new map.
Wendy Todd is a member of Report for America, which supports local journalists who report on under-covered issues and communities.