{"id":1056314,"date":"2025-09-30T18:17:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T22:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/?p=1056314"},"modified":"2025-09-30T18:17:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T22:17:11","slug":"icymi-dnc-turbocharges-missouri-voters-efforts-to-fight-rigged-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/icymi-dnc-turbocharges-missouri-voters-efforts-to-fight-rigged-maps\/","title":{"rendered":"ICYMI: DNC Turbocharges Missouri Voters\u2019 Efforts To Fight Rigged Maps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yesterday, a day after Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed gerrymandered congressional maps<\/a> into law, the DNC made a new investment to support Missourians\u2019 organizing efforts to fight these rigged maps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this investment, the DNC is supporting Missouri Democrats\u2019 work to collect the required signatures for a citizen referendum, which would force a statewide vote on fair maps, stopping Republicans\u2019 unilateral power grab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Missouri to Ohio to Texas, the DNC won\u2019t stand idly by as Republicans try to take the power away from the people.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a look at some of the coverage below: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salon<\/strong><\/a>: DNC backs drive for Missouri gerrymandering referendum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Russell Payne, 9\/29\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDemocrats in Missouri are launching a new petition to block state Republicans from implementing their newly gerrymandered maps ahead of the 2026 elections \u2014 and doing so with the financial support of the national party, a source with the Democratic National Committee told Salon. If successful, voters would get a chance to weigh in on the GOP scheme to give President Donald Trump and his party an extra seat in the House. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow the DNC is funding the effort, with money going to hiring organizing staff to manage the campaign, and organizing volunteers both in Missouri and outside the state. Out-of-state volunteers will help contact Missourians by text over the next 90 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018After passing Trump\u2019s Big Ugly Bill that kicks 230,000 Missourians off their health insurance and puts four rural hospitals at risk of closing, Missouri Republicans are scared they will lose in 2026 and beyond,\u2019 DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement to Salon. \u2018That\u2019s why they are trying to cheat. The DNC won\u2019t stand idly by as Republicans try to take the power away from the people \u2014 that\u2019s why we\u2019re partnering with Democrats on the ground to ensure Missourians choose their maps, not Trump or his Republican enablers.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hill<\/strong><\/a>: DNC invests for Missouri referendum over newly signed House map<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Caroline Vakil, 9\/29\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Monday it is making an investment to help Missouri Democrats put the state\u2019s newly signed GOP-friendly House map to a statewide vote ahead of the 2026 midterms. \u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DNC\u2019s investment would go toward efforts such as using its 41,000-volunteer team to send texts to residents about signing onto the petition and helping staff collect signatures in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018After passing Trump\u2019s Big Ugly Bill that kicks 230,000 Missourians off their health insurance and puts four rural hospitals at risk of closing, Missouri Republicans are scared they will lose in 2026 and beyond,\u2019 DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018That\u2019s why they are trying to cheat,\u2019 he added. \u2018The DNC won\u2019t stand idly by as Republicans try to take the power away from the people \u2014 that\u2019s why we\u2019re partnering with Democrats on the ground to ensure Missourians choose their maps, not Trump or his Republican enablers.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Louis Public Radio<\/strong><\/a>: Democratic National Committee will contribute to blocking Missouri congressional map<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Jason Rosenbaum, 9\/29\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DNC announced on Monday that it will be contributing staff and financial resources to bolster a referendum effort to place the new map up for a statewide vote. A group called People Not Politicians is trying to collect roughly 106,000 signatures before the middle of December to prevent the new lines from going into effect until a successful statewide vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShelby Wiltz, DNC national political director, said the party will devote staff to help gather the necessary signatures and provide direct monetary support to the Missouri Democratic Party. Already, the People Not Politicians effort has attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars since lawmakers passed the congressional map during a special session in mid-September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018Missouri has a really unique tool, which is the citizen referendum, which allows Missourians to be the ones who get to have the ultimate say about how their votes get counted and about how their maps are drawn, not Donald Trump, not Republicans,\u2019 Wiltz said. \u2018So we are eager to help them in that fight. And so we’ve made some investments to make sure that they’re able to be successful.\u2019 \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWiltz said a referendum could bring about high stakes for President Donald Trump, who pressured Missouri Republicans to pass the new map. If voters reject the new map, it could show that Trump\u2019s national push to redraw congressional lines is unpopular even in GOP-leaning states like Missouri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018There’s some things that Democrats and Republicans still agree on, and running fair elections is one of them, having transparency in our elections is one of them, having your voice counted fairly is one of them,\u2019 Wiltz said.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ozarks First<\/strong><\/a>: Mo. Democrats get help from DNC in fight against redistricting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Mark Zinn, 9\/30\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a statement, the chair of the Democratic National Committee announced the party would be assisting efforts to prevent the map from going into effect. Their main avenue to do this is through a voter referendum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018The DNC won\u2019t stand idly by as Republicans try to take the power away from the people \u2014 that\u2019s why we\u2019re partnering with Democrats on the ground to ensure Missourians choose their maps, not Trump or his Republican enablers,\u2019 DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe national party says they will deploy their well-funded apparatus to assist and coordinate with volunteers who are in a rush to gather more than 100,000 signatures from Missouri voters before a Dec. 11 deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KCTV<\/strong><\/a>: Democratic National Committee invests in effort to overturn Missouri\u2019s new congressional maps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Greg Dailey and The Associated Press, 9\/29\/25]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Democratic National Committee announced \u2018a new investment to help Missourians on the ground obtain the required signatures necessary\u2019 to put the new map to a statewide vote. \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DNC stated that it will support the Missouri Democratic Party by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n