On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh issued an order addressing a Missouri congressional map that had been drawn to favor Republicans. A federal district judge simultaneously released a conflicting ruling on the same map. The orders were handed down on the deadline by which Missouri was required to finalize its congressional districts for the upcoming election cycle. As a result, the state's congressional races have been left in procedural limbo with no clear map in effect. The dispute centers on whether the map meets legal standards under federal and state law, with the two courts reaching opposite conclusions on its validity.
This clash reveals how federal courts have drifted far beyond their constitutional role by second-guessing state legislatures on core matters of representation. Redistricting belongs to the states under the Elections Clause, and injecting nationwide judges into the process undermines federalism and invites endless litigation. The Framers designed a system in which elected representatives, not robed officials, resolve political questions like district lines. Allowing one district judge to override both a state legislature and a Supreme Court justice erodes the separation of powers and turns elections into courtroom battles. States must reclaim their authority before the judiciary fully seizes control of the people's House.