Rick Brattin is a Republican Missouri state senator representing the 31st District. He previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives and as Cass County auditor. A former U.S. Marine, he founded a construction business. He was first elected to the Senate in 2020 after four House terms from 2010 to 2018. He graduated from Lee's Summit High School and served six years in the Marine Corps, reaching the rank of sergeant.
Role at the time: Missouri state senator, plaintiff in the federal lawsuit and Republican candidate in the 5th Congressional District, issuing a news release
Defended or excused
Response to this claim
Because Missouri held its August primary under the 2025 map, the U.S. Constitution requires it to use that same map in the November general election, and using the 2022 map instead would violate Article I, Section 2 and equal protection.
“I am grateful to the Eighth Circuit for squarely addressing the merits of this case and stating plainly what common sense and the Constitution require: voters should not choose their nominees under one congressional map and then be forced into entirely different districts for the general election.
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Today’s Supreme Court decision is a travesty for Missouri voters and for the integrity of our elections. Missouri will now conduct a congressional primary under one map and a general election under another.
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The responsibility for this chaos rests first and foremost with the Missouri Supreme Court.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Sen. Rick Brattin on X: statement on U.S. Supreme Court ruling · Rick BrattinFull X post containing a news release dated September 25, 2026, published September 26, 2026 at 00:33 UTC (7:33 p.m. CDT on September 25)
Why we used this label
The reference point is use of the 2025 map in the 2026 general election. Brattin says voters should not be moved into different districts after choosing nominees in the primary and calls the ruling a travesty, which defends use of the 2025 map. The closest competing label, condemns, does not fit because his criticism is aimed at the courts' decisions and not at the use of the 2025 map.
Role at the time: Missouri state senator, Republican nominee for the 5th Congressional District and plaintiff in the federal lawsuit
Defended or excused
Response to this claim
Because Missouri held its August primary under the 2025 map, the U.S. Constitution requires it to use that same map in the November general election, and using the 2022 map instead would violate Article I, Section 2 and equal protection.
“Voters cast their primary ballots under this map, and they should be able to vote in the same districts for the general election
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Changing the map halfway through an election forces people into different districts with candidates they never had a chance to choose in the primary. That defies common sense and undermines the entire electoral process.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Federal court says Missouri can't legally use 2022 voter map in NovemberArticle, September 21, 2026, quotation attributed to Sen. Rick Brattin in a statement
Why we used this label
The reference point is use of the 2025 map in the 2026 general election. Brattin argues that voters should vote in the same districts in the general election as in the primary, which defends using the 2025 map. The closest competing label, “Mixed or conditional”, loses because he states no condition on that position.
In a September 25 emergency order, the U.S. Supreme Court said lower courts should not require Missouri to use its 2025 congressional map in November. Republican officials wanted the primary map kept; the Missouri Supreme Court and map opponents said the 2022 map governs.
