SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Missouri has joined the ranks of states answering President Trump's call to help Republicans win next year's midterm elections. On Friday, the legislature passed a new congressional map that would turn a seat held by a Democrat into a Republican-leaning district, as Trump had asked. This comes after Texas passed a map that could help Republicans win five additional seats there. California and some other Democratic-led states are moving to counter this in what's turning into a nationwide redistricting race.
We're joined now by St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum. Jason, thanks for being with us.
JASON ROSENBAUM, BYLINE: Thank you for having me.
SIMON: Help us understand the debate that went on there in Missouri. Why did Republicans say they passed this?
ROSENBAUM: Well, Missouri Republicans have told me that since the state elects GOP candidates soundly on a statewide and state legislative level, the congressional map should reflect the party's political dominance. In fact, Governor Mike Kehoe calls this map the Missouri First Plan. A lot of GOP lawmakers, such as Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O'Laughlin, say their motivation is to not let Democrats take control of the House.
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CINDY O'LAUGHLIN: When the people in Missouri say, do we want to be sure we send as many Republicans to Congress as we can so that President Trump can finish out his four years in a strong fashion? - the answer to that is yes.
ROSENBAUM: GOP lawmakers like O'Laughlin passed the current map just three years ago. And back then, her Republican colleagues didn't want to target Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. They feared it would make surrounding districts more competitive. But Trump himself called Missouri Republican senators earlier this week to encourage them to pass the new lines. And many lawmakers contend their constituents like Trump and will support keeping the House in GOP hands.
SIMON: What kind of resistance did they get?
ROSENBAUM: Democrats in particular excoriated Republicans for being subservient to Trump and trying to oust Cleaver, a veteran lawmaker who served as the first Black mayor of Kansas City. Kansas City lawmakers, like state Senator Barbara Washington, say the map will ultimately silence and dilute the voice of urban Missourians.
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BARBARA WASHINGTON: One side is representing the interests of the people and the voices of the people. And another side is representing the interests of power, because they want to be in power more than they want to help their communities.
ROSENBAUM: Now, the Missouri governor is expected to sign this soon, but the map is not necessarily a done deal. A group called People Not Politicians plan to gather more than 100,000 signatures over a three-month period to put the map up for a statewide vote. And if they get those signatures, the map can't go into effect probably until after the 2026 election cycle. Meanwhile, two lawsuits have already been filed against the new map.
SIMON: Now, Jason, state legislatures, of course, have the power to redistrict. But this does come at an unusual time, doesn't it?
ROSENBAUM: It's very unusual. In fact, almost all states pursue redistricting directly after a census, which comes early in the decade. But with Republicans holding a very small majority in the House, Trump and other Republicans believe that the party needs to do everything possible before next year's elections. If Democrats take the House, they could block his agenda and launch investigations of his administration.
SIMON: Do you know what other states, Jason, might be looking at this now?
ROSENBAUM: The big one is California, specifically to counter the five Texas seats that are now easier for Republicans to win. Democrats in California are asking voters to approve a map that would help them win five seats there. In the meantime, Trump is asking Indiana, Florida and other Republican states to pass new maps to help the GOP, and more could come.
SIMON: Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio, thank you so much.
ROSENBAUM: Thank you for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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