Kathmandu— The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously blocked a congressional map backed by former President Donald Trump ahead of November's midterm elections, restoring the state's previous districts and delivering a rare judicial rebuke to Trump in the national redistricting battle, with Republicans pledging to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judicial Rebuke to Trump's Redistricting Strategy

The Missouri Supreme Court's unanimous ruling on Thursday overturned a congressional map signed into law in September 2025, which was designed to help Republicans gain an extra seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The court determined that a referendum petition challenging the map was legally valid, sufficient, and timely, rejecting Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' conclusion that it was insufficient.

"The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise," the court wrote in its ruling. The decision marks a rare judicial pushback against Trump's influence in redistricting efforts, which he has championed across multiple states as a strategy to maintain Republican control of the House.

Political Backlash and Immediate Appeals

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, called the ruling a "full-fledged constitutional crisis" and announced an immediate appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. "Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election," she stated.

Trump also denounced the decision on social media, calling it "horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional," and claimed the court had "ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago."

The ruling comes amid a broader national effort led by Trump to encourage Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps mid-decade, a strategy that has been adopted by about 10 states, most of which have tilted Republican.

Public Mobilization and Referendum Campaign

The referendum campaign was spearheaded by the group People Not Politicians, which gathered nearly 300,000 signatures to put the map to a vote. The group praised the court's decision, stating, "Supreme Court of Missouri has ruled: Missourians will vote on politicians’ rigged map."

Hundreds rallied outside the state Supreme Court the day before the ruling, chanting "Let us vote!" Grant Christensen, a referendum supporter and resident of Jefferson City, said, "Gerrymandering is the same as voter suppression. Cutting up districts in order to steer them to vote one way or the other is not fair."

The group also criticized Secretary of State Hoskins for not rejecting the petition earlier, stating he "had the power to prevent all this confusion months ago—and he chose not to."

Legal and Electoral Implications

The court's decision places Missouri in a complex position with only two months until the midterm elections, as ballots are already being printed. The ruling also raises questions about whether a state's general election can use different congressional districts than its primaries did.

Prior to Thursday's ruling, Missouri's Supreme Court had affirmed the special legislative action to change the map was lawful. However, the current decision upholds the legality of the petition campaign, barring the 2025 map from being used in November's election until voters approve it.

The outcome is particularly significant for Missouri's 5th congressional district, currently held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, which was reshaped to favor Republicans in the 2025 map.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.