BREAKING: Missouri GOP’s Ruthless Assault on Democracy—Gerrymandered Map Obliterates Democratic Seat to Rig Election for Trump
The Republican-controlled Missouri House stabs democracy in the throat by passing a shockingly gerrymandered congressional map to erase a Democratic seat and help Donald Trump.
And it gets so much worse…
“The Missouri GOP is aiding and abetting the systematic destruction of our democracy by an authoritarian regime led by geriatric conman who knows the only way he can win is to cheat,” said
Democratic state House Minority Leader Ashley Aune.
The map in question has now been sent to the Missouri Senate for a vote. Additionally, a bill that will make it all but impossible to change the state constitution through the initiative petition process has also passed the state House.
Missouri’s Republican Governor Mike Kehoe called the legislature back into session, bowing to the pressure that Trump has been exerting on red states to give him a leg up in the midterm elections. The gerrymandering scheme in Texas has received a lot of coverage, but similar plots are unfolding in places like Missouri.
The new Missouri map will carve up Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City district and dilute his voters over three districts. Republicans will end up with an electoral advantage in 7/8 of the state’s districts.
“With this map, Kansas City is losing fair democratic representation in Congress,” said Aune. “Federal investments in affordable housing, affordable energy, public safety, health care access and more in my community are on the chopping block.”
“Republicans claim to be the party of small government and local control,” she added. “Yet here you are taking your marching orders from the federal government.”
The bill regarding the citizen initiative petition process means that constitutional amendments put on the ballot by voters will now need a simple statewide majority as well as a majority in all congressional districts — a nigh impossible hurdle. It means that 5% of voters could defeat an otherwise overwhelmingly popular measure. It’s a clear sign that Republicans are doubling down on their plan to entrench minoritarian rule and remove even the guise of democracy. If it passes the Senate, it will got to the ballot in 2026 and could pass with a simple majority vote.
“Unfortunately, it’s not ethics. It’s not morality. It’s definitely not liberty. It’s just political power,” said Republican state Representative Bryant Wolfin, who voted against the measures.
“There’s certainly nothing conservative about ignoring the moral implications of our actions,” he added. “Morality is not defined by what is legal. Morality is not defined by what you can get away with.”
Democratic governors like Gavin Newsom of California have the right idea on this issue. We must fight fire with fire. For every red-leaning district that Republicans create through gerrymandering, Democrats must create a blue district to balance it out. Nothing less than democracy itself is on the line.