Missouri’s congressional races are taking shape under a dramatically redrawn political map that Republicans crafted during a rare mid-decade redistricting effort backed by President Donald Trump and GOP legislative leaders.
The most significant change came in Kansas City, where longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s district was divided along Troost Avenue. Neighborhoods east of Troost remain in Cleaver’s 5th Congressional District, while areas west of Troost were shifted into the Republican-leaning 4th District, now represented by former television news anchor Mark Alford.
The redesign was widely viewed by Democrats as a direct effort to weaken Cleaver’s political base while strengthening Republican prospects in western Missouri.
In the new 5th District, Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville emerged from a crowded primary field with about 45% of the vote. A Marine Corps veteran and small business owner, Brattin has built a reputation as one of the Missouri Senate’s leading conservative voices.
Cleaver, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, received about 55,000 votes, while Republicans cast a combined 77,000 ballots in their primary. If those partisan turnout patterns hold through November, Cleaver would need to attract roughly 22,000 additional voters beyond the Democratic primary electorate to secure another term.
The numbers appear even more daunting in the neighboring 4th District.
Incumbent Republican Mark Alford advanced after Republican voters cast a combined 93,000 ballots in a three-candidate primary. Democrats nominated Jordan Herrera, an Air Force veteran, attorney and assistant Missouri attorney general, who narrowly defeated progressive activist and radio host Hartzell Gray III, 19,850 votes to 18,055.
Democrats cast roughly 65,000 combined votes in the 4th District primary, compared with 93,000 Republican votes. Based on those turnout numbers, Herrera would need to find nearly 30,000 additional votes in November—almost one-and-a-half times his primary vote total—to overcome the Republican advantage.
In the St. Louis-based 1st Congressional District, former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush was unsuccessful in her bid to reclaim the seat she lost two years ago. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell defeated Bush by a decisive margin, receiving 59% of the vote to Bush’s 37%, ending her attempt at a political comeback.
While general election turnout often differs significantly from primary participation, the August results underscore the uphill battle Democrats face in Missouri’s congressional races, particularly in districts reshaped to favor Republican candidates.
