Emanuel Cleaver

Rick Brattin secured the Republican nomination for Missouri’s 5th District Congress after a late endorsement from Donald Trump. A court battle will determine whether the November election uses the current gerrymandered map or a previous one, affecting Brattin’s and incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver’s electoral advantages.

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is set to face Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District race. Cleaver ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Brattin defeated five other Republicans to secure the GOP nomination. Brattin represents Missouri’s 31st district in the state legislature.

Missouri's Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a petition seeking a referendum on new congressional districts, citing constitutional grounds. The petition, supported by People Not Politicians and backed by over 300,000 signatures, aims to challenge the Republican-led redistricting plan in court. The decision allows the new districts to be used in upcoming elections despite ongoing legal disputes.

Missouri's state primary includes a Democratic rematch between Wesley Bell and Cori Bush in the 1st Congressional District, with AIPAC supporting Bell. A new congressional map and redistricting have altered districts, affecting candidates like Emanuel Cleaver, and voters will decide on ballot measures including one to change constitutional amendment thresholds.

Missouri congressional incumbents hold a significant cash advantage over challengers ahead of the August 4 primary, with $13.6 million in campaign funds compared to $1.9 million for opponents. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver faces multiple Republican challengers in the 5th District, while U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell faces Cori Bush in the 1st District. Outside groups have spent over $3.5 million in primary races, exceeding candidate spending in some cases.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Joe Crowley in a 2018 primary despite being a longshot candidate. The political establishment initially dismissed her, with figures like Emanuel Cleaver and Claire McCaskill criticizing her impact, while she acknowledged using underestimation as a strategic advantage.

Rep. Kevin Kiley introduced a discharge petition to force a House vote on his bill banning midcycle redistricting, which could become a recurring partisan weapon if left unchecked. The bill would prohibit states from redrawing congressional maps more than once every 10 years. Kiley's move is an attempt to bypass House leadership and force legislation onto the floor.

President Donald Trump's push to redraw US House districts received mixed results, with South Carolina senators defying his desires, but Missouri's top court upholding a new map that could help Republicans win an additional seat. The national redistricting battle has intensified after a recent US Supreme Court ruling weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. Republican lawmakers are wrestling with how aggressive to be when redrawing House districts.

The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a GOP-supported congressional map, rejecting claims it violated the state constitution. Legal challenges to gerrymandering are shifting to state courts following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana vs. Callais, which weakened protections against racial gerrymandering. State courts in multiple jurisdictions may now determine the validity of new redistricting maps.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation before a House Ethics Committee recommendation has prompted Democratic lawmakers to express regret over their vote to expel George Santos, citing due process concerns. Some Democrats now question the fairness of expelling members before criminal convictions, while Rep. Nancy Mace plans to push for Cory Mills' expulsion despite ongoing investigations.