Missouri Democratic Party chair Russ Carnahan says Republican politicians wasted taxpayer dollars on the 2025 map effort
Missouri Democratic PartyChairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, quoted by St. Louis Public Radio
Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Russ Carnahan said Republican politicians had wasted enough taxpayer dollars on the effort to use the 2025 map when they should have been working on rising costs facing Missourians. He said the gerrymander was never about serving Missouri families or seniors facing rising grocery and healthcare costs.
“Republican politicians have wasted enough taxpayer dollars on this effort when they should have been working to address the rising costs facing regular Missourians across this state This gerrymander was never about serving the Missouri families or seniors who are facing rising grocery bills and rising healthcare costs under Republican control.”
Original text
Reporting
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Where this statement fits
Should Missouri be allowed to use its 2025 congressional map in the 2026 general election?
Missouri lawmakers passed a new congressional map, House Bill 1, in September 2025, and the State used it in the August 4, 2026 primary. On September 3, 2026, the Supreme Court of Missouri ruled unanimously that a referendum petition kept the map from taking effect and that the 2022 map remains in force for the November general election. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and President Donald Trump said in early September that the primary map should be used in November, and the Eighth Circuit held on September 21 that using the 2022 map violates the U.S. Constitution. People Not Politicians, the Campaign Legal Center and the ACLU argued that Missouri law makes the 2022 map the only valid map and that ballots had been mailed under it. On September 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court, in an unsigned per curiam order that records no dissent, stayed the federal injunctions, said that under state law the 2022 map must be used, and said lower courts should not require use of the 2025 map in the 2026 election. Kehoe called that decision disappointing and said Missouri will follow the order.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Unsigned per curiam order on an application that Circuit Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred to the full Court. It stays the Eighth Circuit's September 21 mandate and September 22 order and the district court's September 21 and 22 injunctions, keeps the Court's September 10 stay in place, and says the lower courts should not prohibit use of the 2022 map or require use of the 2025 map in the 2026 congressional election in Missouri. The text of the order shows no separate opinion or noted dissent.
Reporting
About this source
St. Louis Public Radio's report on the U.S. Supreme Court's September 25, 2026 order blocking use of the 2025 congressional map, with reaction from Missouri officials, the referendum campaign and the Democratic Party chair.
Before the quotation
On September 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court said lower courts should not enjoin use of the 2022 map or require Missouri to use the 2025 map in the 2026 congressional election, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
After the quotation
St. Louis Public Radio reported that Carnahan said the Supreme Court's decision was a repudiation of how Secretary of State Denny Hoskins acted and of how Republicans sowed confusion in the run-up to the 2026 election cycle.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Missouri's use of its 2025 congressional map in the November 2026 general election. Carnahan said Republican politicians had wasted taxpayer dollars on the effort and called the map a gerrymander that was never about serving Missouri families. That criticizes the push to use the 2025 map, so we labeled it Condemned.
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Read the full caseRichard von Glahn says People Not Politicians is "done with corrupt politicians trying to force their map into effect"
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The National Democratic Redistricting Committee says the Supreme Court "denied Missouri Republicans' third attempt to jam through their 2025 gerrymander"
National Democratic Redistricting Committee
“BREAKING: SCOTUS just denied Missouri Republicans' third attempt to jam through their 2025 gerrymander! 👏 This reaffirms what the state's highest court already said weeks ago — the 2025 map was never the law. Missouri Republicans tried to silence voters. Today, they lost.”Read statement
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver says the Supreme Court "put this shameful and unlawful scheme to rest"
“For more than a year, state officials have spent precious time, energy, and resources on an effort to silence the voices of Missouri voters and steal a congressional seat. Tonight, after more than 305,000 Missourians demanded a say, the Supreme Court has put this shameful and unlawful scheme to rest. Power to the people.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Missouri Democratic Party chair Russ Carnahan says Republican politicians wasted taxpayer dollars on the 2025 map effort". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2842-missouri-democratic-party-chairman-russ-carnahan-said-republican