Missouri Gerrymander Clash Heads to Courts, Could Cost $80 Million

Missouri’s yearlong fight over which congressional map to use for November elections continues after the Missouri Supreme Court found Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt for blocking a referendum petition; a fresh lawsuit seeks up to about $80 million in damages under a constitutional provision for aggrieved voters, while the fate of the maps remains unsettled as the 8th Circuit weighs competing challenges and possible Supreme Court review; the contested Kansas City seat could flip if the gerrymandered map is used, and roughly 23% of Missouri voters will vote in a different district than in August with mail ballots going out soon.