Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to call a special session to redraw the state’s congressional maps, though he told reporters Friday he was not yet ready to make a formal announcement.
“When we’re ready to make that announcement, we’ll get it out there,” the GOP governor said during a stop at the Missouri Soybean Association headquarters, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. “There are a lot of moving puzzle pieces. We’re still making sure what’s going to work is going to work.”
The push comes as President Donald Trump urges GOP-led states to redraw maps to strengthen Republican prospects in the midterms.
Missouri has eight House seats, two held by Democrats. Republicans are eyeing changes to the Kansas City-based 5th District that could flip it and give the party an additional seat to bolster Trump’s agenda, according to the report.
The Texas legislature last week approved a redrawn congressional map that will likely give Republicans an additional five seats in Congress. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the redrawn map into law, though Democrat-aligned groups are already planning lawsuits.
Under pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom, California’s assembly this week approved a ballot measure for the fall that, if passed, would allow the legislature to temporarily bypass an independent congressional redistricting board to gerrymander an addition 4-5 seats for Democrats. Voters also approved a measure creating the board, so it’s unclear if they will not approve a measure to bypass it.
Last week, Trump alluded to the redrawing of Missouri’s congressional maps.
“The Great State of Missouri is now IN. I’m not surprised… We’re going to win the Midterms in Missouri again, bigger and better than ever before!” Trump noted on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Democrats have been issuing fundraising emails and letters in response to the redistricting effort.
“This isn’t just about one district. It’s about whether Missouri voters get to choose their representatives or whether politicians get to rig the rules to choose their voters. And with Trump’s political machine and a Republican supermajority pushing hard, the danger couldn’t be greater,” said Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Russ Carnahan, a former congressman.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is supporting Trump’s idea of holding a presidential-style Republican National Convention before the 2026 midterms.
During an interview on Fox News, Johnson said the president called him and mentioned the idea of Republicans holding a massive convention before the midterms to ramp up energy and excitement for the party to help them keep control of the U.S. House and Senate.
Johnson said Republicans won “every aspect” of the 2024 presidential election and predicted that the GOP is poised to “perform well in next year’s midterms.”
“I was in Detroit yesterday morning. He called me 15 minutes before that truth and he said, ‘Mike, I’ve got a great idea.’ Let’s have it. I’m so excited about this. I said, ‘Mr. President, let’s go.’ Because I think that would be such a great rallying point right before the midterm election for us to tout all the great successes we’ve had to enjoy that,” Johnson said.
“The president loves the idea of it. I do as well. We got to pick the right location. But look, I’m all for it and and I think uh it’s going to be great. Well, let us know the date so we can mark it on our calendars,” he added.
Trump revealed earlier this week that he will tell Republicans to hold a national convention just before next year’s midterms.
In a Truth Social post, Trump lauded the GOP as “doing really well” and “Millions of people have joined us in our quest to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
“We have raised far more money than the Democrats, and are having a great time fixing all of the Country Destroying mistakes made by the Biden Administration, and watching the USA heal and prosper,” Trump wrote.