JD Vance calls Missouri Supreme Court redistricting decision 'an affront to the democratic process'

JD Vance calls Missouri Supreme Court redistricting decision 'an affront to the democratic process'

United States Vice President JD Vance questioned a Missouri Supreme Court ruling that ordered the use of the 2022 congressional map in November's general election rather than the redrawn 2025 map that was used in the primary.

Vance took a trip to the Kansas City area on Monday to discuss new anti-fraud measures, but with redistricting at the political forefront of the minds of Missourians and citizens and officials around the nation, KMBC 9's Matt Flener asked about the latest congressional map decision after his initial speech.

"What I find most bizarre about the Missouri redistricting debate is that you already had a primary election where people cast ballots with the districts as they exist now," Vance said. "So if the courts don't do what I think that they should, you could have people who are going in the general election and casting ballots in districts that are different than the ballots that they cast just a couple of months ago in the primary. That, to me, is an affront to the democratic process.

"If the Supreme Court wants to step in and change things, they should've changed things back then. And given that they've let these maps exist during the primary election, it seems to make sense to let them exist for the general election," Vance continued.

The redrawn congressional map has been at the center of legal controversy for a year, moving through the courts as map opponents and map proponents made multiple arguments over the map's validity. In line with Vance's point, many map supporters, particularly Republicans, frequently emphasized in legal arguments that the map change between primary and general elections would be "impossible" and confusing for voters, candidates and election officials.

Ultimately, after much back and forth, the state Supreme Court's decision to bar the use of the redrawn map until a public vote was supported by the U.S. Supreme Court. That means that for now, the old map will stand and will be used in the November election. There is a lingering case involving a federal judge, but it's not clear what the result of that case will bring.

The redrawn 2025 map, backed by President Donald Trump, splits the 5th Congressional District, a House of Representatives seat long held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver II. The split would create an opportunity for a Republican to take hold of that seat. Some opponents of the map called it gerrymandering for Republican political power — but Vance said he's seen districts drawn in "absurd" ways in primarily Democratic states.

"What you have in some of the bluest states in our country, and frankly even some purple states that lean blue, is some of the most absurd congressional districts that I've ever seen. I mean, districts that look like, you know, children's art rather than common-sense, reasonably drawn congressional districts," he said.

He said he thinks the court decision could send the wrong message to non-Democrat voters.

"And the problem is, when you have courts that say that Missouri's not allowed to draw its districts the way that it would like to but certain blue states are, what that means is that those courts are saying that the votes of a Missouri Republican or a Missouri Independent count less than a Massachusetts Democrat," he said. "I think it's a fundamental affront to the idea that every single person is entitled to cast their ballot as they see fit, so the courts are going to do what they do. Obviously, I've got my preference. But the weirdest thing about this is to have a congressional primary map that's different than a congressional general map. That doesn't make a ton of sense to me."