People Not Politicians: 300,000 demand Missouri referendum to overturn GOP gerrymandering

Lucas Kirk, of Sullivan, Mo., stands with boxes of petition signatures he helped collect and deliver on Dec. 9, 2025, to the secretary of state’s office in Jefferson City, Mo., calling for a referendum election on new racially-motivated congressional districts approved by the Republican-controlled state legislature. | David A. Lieb / AP

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Over 300,000 Missourians are demanding an end to Republican efforts to gerrymander the state’s districts and the right to choose their own electoral maps.

That’s the number of signatures gathered on a petition by the People Not Politicians coalition, a mass campaign of labor unions, faith organizations, and thousands of working-class volunteers. They’re demanding the suspension of Republican-drawn maps ahead of next year’s midterms and trigger a statewide referendum on re-districting.

They presented the result of their endeavor to the secretary of state’s office in the capital on Dec. 9.

Seeking to steal away Democratic Party seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, President Donald Trump signaled to Missouri Republicans that they should maneuver to deny the will of voters living in Kansas City’s 5th District.

That seat is held by Emmanuel Cleaver, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. The GOP scheme would split the 5th District into two majority-white and majority-Republican districts to snuff out the ideas and values of those who live in Kansas City and sent Cleaver to represent them in Congress.

As it currently stands, six of Missouri’s eight seats are held by Republicans and two by the Democrats—a far cry from what might be expected, given that nearly 40% of Missouri voters cast ballots for the Democratic Party in the most recent election. This new gerrymandered map would be gerrymandering the gerrymander, so to speak, as the state’s congressional delegation is already so slanted.

Missourians were more than ready for the fight and worked to put the choice into the hands of regular Missouri voters—not right-wing politicians seeking to erase Black representation in Kansas City.

State referendum law requires the signatures of 5% of turnout in the most recent election, 110,000 people, to get an issue on the ballot. The volunteers with the People Not Politicians coalitino didn’t want to leave any room for error, however, so they collected nearly three times the number needed.

They held mass meetings of thousands across the state and packed the Capitol at Jefferson City earlier this year, showing that Missourians want this choice of representation to be their own.

But what has been the response from the federal government and the State of Missouri?

State and federal Republicans have joined in on an all-out sabotage and smear campaign against the effort for fair maps. Utilizing local Turning Point USA chapters, the Republican Party sought to intimidate petition gatherers. They had Donald Trump, Jr., and statewide politicians red-bait leaders of the campaign. The GOP also attempted to invalidate 90,000 signatures, deploying robocalls and text messages to pressure people to rescind their signatures.

Missourians have made it clear, however, that they want the map to go to a referendum of the voters. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins faces a choice: Will he certify the signatures and allow the referendum come to a vote? Or will he block the will of Missourians and bring in the Republicans’ undemocratic and unpopular map to take away voters’ voices on behalf of Trump?

So far, Hoskins has made clear where his loyalties are, but something else is also clear: Missourians who want fair maps are more than ready to fight back and will certainly make their voices heard in the streets, the union halls, at the Capitol, and at the ballot box.

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CONTRIBUTOR

Bryesen Cooper

Bryesen Cooper is a student, community activist, and labor advocate from Missouri.