By Casey Bennett and Jacob Richey, KOMU 8 News
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KOMU) (KOMU) — Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Chair Michael Johnson, D-Kansas City, and other caucus members are voicing their opposition to the possibility of redistricting in Missouri.
Johnson said he is standing against what the caucus calls a “blatant attempt to seize power from the people.”
Congressional Republicans currently hold a slim 219-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republicans and Democrats view the chamber as up for grabs in 2026.
Currently, Republicans hold seats in six of Missouri’s eight Congressional districts. The two Democrats are in districts in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
State lawmakers traditionally draw a new district map, based on census data, every 10 years. Redistricting last happened in 2022.
President Donald Trump has asked Missouri Republicans to redraw the 5th Congressional District to include more rural counties, the Associated Press reported. The move could swing the county’s vote toward the GOP and away from Emanuel Cleaver, who has represented Missouri’s 5th Congressional District for over 20 years. Cleaver previously served as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2011 to 2013.
U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, R-Mo., told KOMU 8 last week that Trump’s effort to redistrict Missouri is legitimate, and Gov. Mike Kehoe confirmed to KOMU 8 on Thursday that he is open to drawing new districts.
“I think it’s safe to say that we’re interested in making sure Speaker Mike Johnson (a Republican) stays the speaker of the U.S. Congress,” Kehoe told KOMU 8. “Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (the Democratic House minority leader) does not represent the values of Missourians. And so, anytime that we can make sure that Missouri’s values — Missouri’s traditional, family, conservative values — are represented in D.C., we’re always going to take a look at it.”
“This isn’t about representation. It’s about damage control,” Johnson said in a news release. “President Trump sees the writing on the wall and wants to rig the rules before voters have their say. Lawmakers in Missouri shouldn’t be complicit in that. Redrawing the 5th District now is a blatant attempt to hold onto power.”
The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus held a news conference in Jefferson City on Thursday regarding the redistricting rumors.
“This is nothing but a power grab by the Trump administration to maintain control of the House, and we cannot allow that to happen,” Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, said in the news conference.
Rep. Marlon Anderson, D-St. Louis, said Democrats will fight to keep the current district map. None of the Republican lawmakers KOMU 8 reached out to Thursday were available for comment.
“The stakes for 2026 are as high as they will get,” Johnson said at the news conference. “If the Republican establishment is able to retain power even after betraying and betraying the democratic system, it would represent the fundamental death of that system. It would represent the fundamental death of that system and the forfeiture of the fundamental liberty.”
The caucus will also speak to the press at 3 p.m. Friday in Kansas City.
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