Business leaders say Trump’s gerrymandering push would weaken Kansas City
Two of Kansas City’s largest business advocacy groups on Friday announced their opposition to President Donald Trump’s plan to gerrymander Missouri’s congressional districts.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, in a joint statement, said they opposed any effort by Missouri lawmakers to divide the Kansas City region, including any map that “would dismantle” the 5th Congressional District.
“We urge elected officials from all parties to support the regular redistricting schedule and to reject proposals that would allow unnecessary changes,” the statement said. “A strong, united congressional voice is critical to the future success and shared interests of the Kansas City region.”
The opposition from the two leading business advocacy groups is noteworthy. The organizations’ political arm had previously endorsed Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican who has expressed interest in redrawing Missouri’s mid-decade maps at the behest of Trump.
The two organizations emphasized on Friday that Kansas City plays a key role in Missouri’s economy, pointing to the city’s contributions in manufacturing, health care, energy and other industries.
“Keeping the region unified within a single congressional district is essential to securing federal support, advancing bi-state cooperation, and maintaining long-term economic growth,” the groups said. “Dividing the district would risk weakening Kansas City’s representation in Washington and disrupting important regional initiatives.”
The statement came a day after Trump appeared to suggest that Missouri would be the next target for his national redistricting push on the heels of a similar effort in Texas, writing on social media that “The Great State of Missouri is now IN.”
The unprecedented mid-decade redistricting effort in Missouri comes as Trump’s political team has put pressure on lawmakers in Republican-led states to redraw their states’ U.S. House maps so Republicans can maintain a slim majority in Congress.
The proposed plan would be an overt use of partisan gerrymandering, a term used to describe the practice of redrawing electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another.
Missouri’s likely move would involve carving up the Democratic-leaning 5th District, which includes Kansas City’s urban core and its nearby suburbs. That plan could force out of office U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Kansas City’s longtime Democratic congressman.
Cleaver and other Kansas City lawmakers have excoriated the effort, framing it as a brazen and undemocratic power grab that would dampen the voting power of Kansas City and its nearby suburbs.
“Any attempt to implement a mid-decade gerrymander that silences the legitimate voices of communities across Western Missouri will be met with a strong legal challenge,” Cleaver told The Star late last month.
Opposition to the effort has been mounting throughout the Kansas City region. More than 500 people crammed into a union hall in Kansas City earlier this week to protest the move along with various local community organizations.
Community leaders, such as Terrence Wise, with Stand Up KC and Missouri Workers Center, and Rev. Rodney Williams, the pastor of Swope Parkway United Christian Church, have called the effort illegal and an attack on democracy.
Phone calls, letters and messaging from across the state have also flooded Kehoe’s office. An internal staff report from Kehoe’s office, obtained by The Star, listed opposition to the redistricting attempt as the No. 1 “hot topic” among Missouri residents who contacted the Republican governor late last month.
Despite the opposition, Kehoe has repeatedly expressed interest in the plan. The Republican governor gathered the state’s top legislative leaders to discuss the idea at a private meeting earlier this month, The Star previously revealed.
“Our goal, if we move forward, and there’s no decision to move forward…is to make sure Missouri’s values are reflected in Washington, D.C.,” Kehoe told reporters this week.
While Missouri lawmakers are not currently in their annual legislative session, Kehoe has the power to call lawmakers back to Jefferson City in a special session if he wants them to redraw the map before the 2026 election.
That special session is likely to occur around the same time that lawmakers return to the state Capitol on Sept. 10 for their annual veto session.
