US Supreme Court delivers another massive blow to Missouri Republicans

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. with Justices Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Kenny Holston/Pool via REUTERS

Missouri Republicans have already lost several of its lawsuits as part of the ongoing effort to change the congressional maps less than two months before the 2026 election. Now they're facing another blow.

"Law Dork" Chris Geidner posted on BlueSky that the U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in again on the temporary restraining order a federal district court issued blocking changes to the electoral maps.

It has been a tough road for Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, who got a ruling from the state Supreme Court blocking the maps. He then ran to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, demanding that they step in. They did, and Hoskins decided that the district court superseded the state Supreme Court. A law school professor explained that that isn't how it works.

Hoskins on Tuesday emailed election officials, instructing them to break the law and use the map the court ruled against. His email prompted the state Supreme Court to ask why it shouldn't hold Hoskins in contempt of court for defying its ruling. Hoskins had until noon on Wednesday to submit an excuse to the Missouri high court, but instead, he begged the district court to step in and protect him.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, they released a ruling saying that they would not.

The only higher court that can overrule the state Supreme Court is the U.S. Supreme Court, and in its ruling, it made it clear that it deferred to the state Supreme Court.

Hoskins rushed to the U.S. Supreme Court again — but on Thursday morning, they struck it down once again.

There are no noted dissents from the Supreme Court justices.

It makes a definitive ruling that the maps used for the 2026 election will be the 2022 maps, not the new ones the GOP wants to use.

KSDK News political reporter Mark Maxwell, "The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed the federal order that barred Missouri from using any map but the new one. That leaves the state court's ruling as the only one in effect. Election officials and Denny Hoskins are prohibited under court order from using HB1."

Missouri Solicitor General Louis Capozzi said that he submitted a brief to the federal judges and even gave a big thanks to President Donald Trump's Solicitor General John Sauer "and his team for filing a brief in our support on behalf of the United States."

Less than an hour later, the Supreme Court shut it all down.

Michigan State University Law School Professor Quinn Yeargain responded," This has been a stupid journey from beginning to end, and I hope that it culminates in sanctions for Hoskins and the rest of these disgusting ghouls."

Hoskins faces off against the Missouri Supreme Court in a hearing at 11 a.m. EST over his contempt charges.

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