Missouri Lawmaker Sues to Reverse Supreme Court’s Block on GOP‑Friendly Map

After the Missouri Supreme Court stepped in last week and halted a new congressional map that favored Republicans, Rep. Bob Onder (R‑MO) decided the only way to set the record straight was to take the fight to federal court.

In a filing lodged Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Onder joined state House candidate Rick Brattin and two ordinary Missourians. Their complaint says the state high court’s order violates both the U.S. Constitution and the state constitution, and that rolling back the map now would plunge the November 3 election into chaos.

“It’s a startling act of judicial supremacy,” Onder told the Post. “The court tried to rewrite the map after 1.2 million primary voters had already chosen their nominees. That effectively silences those voters.”

The lawsuit argues that restoring the old districts would be costly, confusing, and would place an undue burden on voters, candidates, and election officials alike. “The election process has been thrown into disarray,” Onder added, noting that many constituents have been texting him, worried about who they’ll be represented by.

The state Supreme Court’s move came after a petition drive forced a statewide referendum on the new map. In a unanimous decision, the justices ordered the referendum for November, effectively pausing the use of the GOP‑friendly lines that had already been applied in the August primaries.

For Republicans like Brattin, who was gearing up to run against Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in the newly drawn 5th District, the court’s intervention feels like a last‑minute curveball. “Primary voters picked their nominees, and now you’re shuffling them into different districts? It makes no sense,” Onder said.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has also petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, urging a quick review. “Our ability to hold timely and lawful congressional elections hangs in the balance,” she wrote in an X post Friday night.

Both courts have set a Monday deadline for arguments. Onder is reluctant to speculate on the outcome, but he remains hopeful. “There’s a long line of precedent that says you don’t tamper with elections this close to Election Day,” he said. “I hope the courts correct this egregious wrong.”