Eight Is the Magic Number
The number of representatives each state gets in the U.S. House is determined by its population, as counted every ten years by the Census. Missouri's population growth following the 2020 Census was steady enough to maintain its eight congressional seats, a number it has held since losing a district after the 2010 Census. Each of these eight districts represents roughly 770,000 people. While the number of districts remained the same, the process of redrawing their boundaries after 2020 was a contentious affair that reshaped the state's political landscape.
The Map for the 2026 Midterms
The congressional map being used for the 2026 general election is the one enacted by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Parson in May 2022. This map was the result of
a prolonged debate within the Republican-controlled legislature. In Missouri, congressional district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature as a regular bill, which means the process is inherently political and subject to the governor's veto. The map that was ultimately passed maintained the existing 6-2 Republican majority in the state's congressional delegation.
A Fierce But Failed Power Play
The story grew more complicated in 2025, when the legislature, in a special session, passed a new, more aggressive map. Signed by Governor Mike Kehoe in September 2025, this map was designed to create a 7-1 Republican advantage by dismantling the Kansas City-based 5th District, a longtime Democratic stronghold. However, a citizen-led group called People Not Politicians successfully gathered enough signatures to put the new map up for a veto referendum on the November 2026 ballot. After a series of legal battles that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in September 2026 that the 2025 map could not be used for the general election. As a result, Missouri reverted to the 2022 map for the November 3, 2026 elections.
A Tour of the Political Landscape
Missouri's political geography is sharply divided, and the congressional map reflects this. The state's two Democratic seats are anchored in its major urban centers. The 1st District covers St. Louis, while the 5th District is centered on Kansas City. The remaining six districts are solidly Republican, covering suburban, exurban, and rural areas of the state. Under the current 2022 map, none of the eight districts are considered highly competitive. This design means that for the 2026 elections, the outcomes in most districts are largely predetermined by their partisan lean, with the real political battles having been fought during the map-drawing process itself.
