As Election Day nears, Democrats persist in efforts to bolster their electoral advantage amid growing far-left socialist candidates facing challenges in the general election.

In a pivotal ruling Wednesday, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green determined that Missouri’s constitutional referendum provisions do not apply to congressional redistricting enacted by the General Assembly. The decision sided with Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in a contentious dispute over a Trump-backed map intended for the 2026 midterms.

Judge Green also affirmed that Hoskins’ refusal to certify the referendum petition was lawful and directed that the Republican-approved congressional map remain fully effective for the 2026 general election. Plaintiff Richard von Glahn appealed the ruling later Wednesday per court records.

The contested redistricting plan, passed by Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature following Trump’s call for GOP states to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms, aims to shift control of the U.S. House. It targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, who currently represents one of Missouri’s eight-member congressional districts alongside six Republicans.

The new boundaries divide portions of Kansas City between adjacent Republican-held districts and extend Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District east into rural areas with strong Republican leanings. According to an Associated Press estimate, approximately 59% of voters in the reshaped district are newly enrolled.