Conflicting Court Rulings Leave Missouri's Congressional Map in Limbo Ahead of Midterms

Conflicting court rulings have thrown Missouri's congressional elections into uncertainty less than two months before the November midterms that will help determine control of a closely divided Congress, according to the Guardian.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied an emergency request from Missouri officials to use a new congressional map for the November election, the report said. The map had been redrawn earlier this year with the support of President Donald Trump in an effort to give Republicans an advantage in the midterms.

Separately, a federal judge in Missouri issued a ruling temporarily preventing the state from using its old congressional maps, according to the report, leaving officials without either version to use in the upcoming election.

The legal dispute stems from an earlier ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, which determined that the new map must be put before voters for approval or rejection in a referendum, the report said. That process means the map cannot be implemented in time for the November election.

Trump and other Republicans have criticized the Missouri Supreme Court's decision, with the president calling it "horrible, ridiculous, and unconstitutional," according to the report.

The revised map had targeted Missouri's fifth congressional district, currently held by longtime Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, the report said. Under the new boundaries, portions of Kansas City would have been reassigned to two neighboring districts represented by Republicans, while the remainder of Cleaver's district would have been stretched eastward into rural, Republican-leaning areas.

The competing court orders leave Missouri's congressional district boundaries unresolved as the state prepares for elections that could influence which party controls the House of Representatives.