Missouri Republicans are trying to split KC into three districts
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Missouri lawmakers will convene on Wednesday over a new congressional map that could split Kansas City into three districts.
Why it matters: The redistricting effort could break up Kansas City's strong Democratic district and create another Republican seat in Congress.
Driving the news: Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe on Friday announced a special session starting Wednesday in the hopes of enacting the new "Missouri First" map.
- The governor also thanked President Trump for "raising the level of conversation on this matter."
- Trump says he wants to gain 100 congressional seats ahead of the midterm and has attacked anti-gerrymandering rules.
Zoom in: The newly proposed map would redraw District 4 to include downtown KC south along Troost Avenue through Waldo.
- That means the city's densest populations — plus residents in Grandview, Lee's Summit and Blue Springs — would end up voting for the same representative as more rural voters from as far away as the Lake of the Ozarks.
Context: In the current map, nearly all of Kansas City — plus some of the biggest suburbs on the Missouri side of the metro — is represented in District 5.
- Under the new map, District 5 would extend to central Missouri but would not include Columbia.
- All of Clay County would end up in District 6, which covers the entire northern part of the state.
What they're saying: Kehoe's communication director, Gabrielle Picard, tells Axios they used the state Senate's 34-district map to redraw the eight congressional boundaries and that the new map splits fewer counties across the state.
Between the lines: Missouri's constitution says redistricting should happen after the census every 10 years and districts should be "as compact… as can be."
- The state must also follow federal law, which prohibits drawing boundaries that disenfranchise racial groups.
- The new map divides Kansas City along Troost Avenue, which has historically been used to shape the city through redlining.
The other side: "Any attempt to implement a mid-decade gerrymander that silences the legitimate voices of communities across Western Missouri will be met with a strong legal challenge," District 5 Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D) tells Axios.
- "Kansas City deserves a unified voice in the United States Congress," Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a video on X.
What's next: Missouri's House and Senate will begin the session at noon Wednesday.
- The General Assembly will also discuss making it harder for voters to pass state amendments.