A Missouri judge ruled that the new U.S. House districts meet constitutional standards for compactness and that deciding which municipalities to split is a political, not judicial, decision.

A separate mid-decade redistricting case remains pending before the Missouri Supreme Court, and more than 300,000 petition signatures have been filed to force a statewide vote on the map.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Adam Caine rejected a legal challenge to the new districts championed by Trump supporters that seek an extra GOP seat in Missouri for the midterm elections.

The ruling was issued on Thursday, marking a victory for Republicans.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway called the decision a victory for Missouri and the legislature, while opponents from the ACLU and Campaign Legal Center signaled possible appeals.

Reaction to the ruling was mixed, with civil rights groups decrying it as a setback for fair representation and the AG framing it as a win for Missouri’s political process.

Some critics argued the ruling undermines fair representation, even as the AG touted a sweeping victory for Missouri’s people and their representatives.

Trump has pressed redistricting efforts in several states to gain partisan advantages, while Democrats have counter-mapped in other states as part of broader battles.

The ruling fits into wider national redistricting clashes spurred by Trump’s push for maps favorable to his party ahead of the 2026 elections.

Context: Trump’s push for favorable maps in multiple states has provoked Democratic responses with their own redistricting actions.

The September special-session map reallocated parts of Kansas City to two GOP-leaning districts and extended the 5th District east into rural areas to help Republicans gain the Kansas City-area seat once held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver.

Missouri’s current map before the change had six Republican and two Democratic members; Republicans pushed for changes under pressure from the White House to gain partisan advantage.