Missouri Chief Justice Powell questions attorneys in contempt case on September 10, 2026. (State Supreme Court livestream)
In a decision this afternoon, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins avoided contempt punishment. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Powell announced: “This court finds that the Secretary of State was in contempt of its September 3rd, 2026 order…The court finds that the Secretary has since corrected his contemptuous conduct by informing this court of his notifications to the local election authorities that the governing order in effect from this court and directing all local election authorities to use the 2022 Congressional District map. The Secretary therefore has purged himself of said contempt.”
Hoskins, in a statement after today’s contempt hearing, agreed to go by the 2022 congressional map. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway also agree to comply: We affirm Secretary of State of Denny Hoskins’s position and decision to advise local election authorities that the 2022 map is in effect. We respect and will continue to comply with all court decisions, including orders issued by the Supreme Court of Missouri. ”
Hanaway and Hoskins have defended the most recent gerrymandered map, and denied allowing a voter petition which contested it. This made the map moot, according to the State Supreme Court, which ruled that voters had the right to decide on the new map, per the Missouri Constitution. The U-S Supreme Court upheld the state’s final decision in two separate actions.
