President Donald Trump’s political team is urging Republicans to redraw Missouri’s congressional map to net a seat by targeting Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
The White House is interested in a map that would divide Cleaver’s Kansas City-based seat, giving Republicans control of seven of the state’s eight districts, according to multiple people briefed on their plans. The current map has six Republicans and two Democrats.
“The president’s team is serious about it,” said Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.), who was at the White House on Tuesday night celebrating the OBBB’s passage. “I think they’re giving it a fair amount of thought.”
Onder fought aggressively for a 7-1 map in 2022 when he was a state senator. Onder said he’s in touch with Jefferson City lawmakers about the proposed redistricting. “Most of them, I think, would be in favor,” Onder said.
The state legislature, however, isn’t in session. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe would need to call a special session.
The new map would leave Rep. Wesley Bell as the lone remaining Democrat. Bell’s St. Louis-based district is protected by the Voting Rights Act, but Cleaver’s is not. Republicans would split Kansas City among multiple districts, and they believe they can do so without endangering any of the other Republican incumbents.
This is a big deal for a few reasons. First, it proves that Trump isn’t stopping with Texas when it comes to his push to claw safer seats for House Republicans in the midterms. We previewed his other options already.
And don’t forget the House is so narrowly divided that just a handful of seats can determine which party has the majority.
Tough task. Missouri’s last redistricting was extremely prolonged and contentious. A conservative faction demanded a 7-1 map, but they couldn’t convince the rest of their colleagues to go along.
“There are some things that no one, no matter how powerful or how important they are, can move through the Missouri Senate,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) said.
What’s changed now? Trump.
There may not be much appetite among some state legislators to redraw mid-decade — there wasn’t in Texas either — but it’s hard to imagine them resisting a direct request from the president.
Cleaver told us that he will run no matter how red his seat becomes.
“I’m a football player. I play football. When you tell me you’re going to run over me, then I become a little more physical. I’m not going to just lay down,” Cleaver said.
