Full Breakdown
Missouri Secretary of State Blocks Referendum on Controversial Congressional Map
8/5/2026, 2:33:03 AM
Core Event: Hoskins Rejects Referendum on New Congressional Districts
Missouri’s Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins announced on August 4 that a citizen-driven petition seeking a statewide referendum on the 2025 congressional map will not appear on the ballot. Hoskins said the Missouri Constitution does not permit referendums on congressional redistricting, rendering the petition “unconstitutional.”
Background & Context
After former President Donald Trump’s 2022 call for mid-decade redistricting, the Republican-controlled legislature adopted the “Missouri First Map” in 2025. The plan splits Kansas City voters into three districts that lean Republican, targeting Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in the 5th Congressional District. Republicans currently hold six of the state’s eight House seats and hope the new map will add a seventh.
Data & Statistics
- Required signatures for a statewide referendum: roughly 111,000.
- People Not Politicians submitted more than 300,000 signatures in December, later verified as exceeding the threshold.
- The related “Respect MO Voters” initiative turned in about 362,000 signatures.
- Hoskins previously rejected nearly 90,000 of the campaign’s signatures earlier in the year.
Official Statements & Responses
Opponents, led by Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, argue the referendum is a lawful exercise of direct democracy.
Criticism & Opposition
Von Glahn said Hoskins’s action attempts to silence voters and that the referendum is a necessary check on “politicians’ desperate power grabs.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of signatures for the “Respect MO Voters” initiative—one report cites roughly 362,000, another mentions “well above the required number” without a precise figure. While Hoskins claims the referendum is unconstitutional, legal scholars cited by opponents point to prior state-court rulings that have allowed referendums on redistricting measures, leaving the issue unresolved.
What’s Next
People Not Politicians and Respect MO Voters have filed lawsuits challenging Hoskins’s rejection. The Missouri Supreme Court must rule by Sept. 8 on whether the referendum must be placed on the November ballot. If ordered, officials will decide whether the 2025 map remains for the primary and general elections or if a reversion to the 2022 districts is required.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Secretary of State Hoskins is making a last desperate attempt to silence the people’s voice in Missouri,” — Richard Von Glahn
- “The Missouri First Map continues to be the law of the land,” — Denny Hoskins
- “It does not matter if it had one signature or 500 million signatures,” — Denny Hoskins
- “Administratively there really isn't anything preventing election officials from running a pretty quick turnaround ballot,” — Boone County Clerk Brianna
- “There is a timing issue of when that final August election is certified,” — County Clerk Brianna Lennon
