Rick Brattin (r) [2013 file photo].

Yesterday, after the Missouri Supreme Court overturned the right wingnut controlled General Assembly’s and right wingnut Governor Mike Kehoe’s hyper-partisan gerrymander of congressional districts for the 2026 general election:

Rick Brattin for Congress
[….]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 3, 2026

Rick Brattin Releases Statement on Missouri Supreme Court Decision in von Glahn v. Hoskins

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – State Senator Rick Brattin has released the following statement regarding the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision in von Glahn v. Hoskins:

“I’m not surprised that a liberal activist majority on the Missouri Supreme Court has handed Democrats a decision they desperately needed in their effort to help national Democrats retake the US House of Representatives, while also effectively invalidating a primary election that was held in accordance with a legal decision these same judges handed down. With the stroke of a pen, the Missouri Supreme Court has disenfranchised tens of thousands of voters who cast their ballot in the 5th District in the primary, only to be thrown into another district entirely – and with candidates they did not have a chance to vote on – for the General Election. This is blatantly unconstitutional. No court has ever reversed a Congressional map in the middle of an election because it is a complete show of disrespect for voters and for the sanctity of the electoral process. It is my hope that this rogue decision is immediately appealed to the United State Supreme Court.”
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“…liberal activist majority on the Missouri Supreme Court…” Is somebody going to tell him?

You think he’s pissed because he’s going to have to collect and replant a shitload of 4 x 8 campaign signs? Just asking.

Some of the responses:

Sometimes the best thing to say is: Nothing.

Why wasn’t the citizen initiative certified for the primary? The justices addressed this. You should address your anger to Hoskins.

Rick, like I wrote on Mark’s page. The folks that plan on voting for you will vote for you. Go out and campaign. Leave this behind. All seven judges weighed in. The executive and legislative branch got checked by the judicial branch. I think I recall that’s how it supposed to work. Whining will make you look weak. Adult up and move on.

he should keep on whining and give the voters further proof of how he is either THAT ignorant, or THAT willing to lie to get into office.

have to be dumb af to vote for someone literally telling you he wishes our voices were not heard

Lol. Liberal activists judges…. the court said no so many times. You and your boy denny did this. Cheaters suck Rick. You suck. Can’t wait to defeat you.

So which of the 5 Republican appointed are part of the liberal activist majority?

There, somebody told him.

This is not a Republican victory or a Democratic victory. It is a victory for the people of Missouri.
Our Constitution declares that all political power is vested in and derived from the people. Political parties are factions; they are not the source of government’s authority. The Legislature may pass laws, but the Constitution reserves to the people the power to approve or reject those laws through referendum.
Seven judges unanimously affirmed that principle. Anyone attempting to reduce these decisions to “our party versus their party” is missing—or avoiding—the central issue:
The Constitution belongs to the people, and public officials of both parties are bound by it.

It was not “a liberal majority” – the decision was unanimous.

An Independent Commission screens judges that are appointed by the Governor. 5 by Republicans and 2 by Democrats. Politicians like Rick cry about a liberal court every time they lose a case. His opinion isn’t based on the legal facts.

Rick, why do you have to call names? Isn’t it possible that they simply followed the law?

Lol, your so call “liberal majority” on the MO supreme court is made up of 7 judges, 5 appointed by Republican governors. The ruling today was unanimous.

Talk about blatantly unconstitutional? How about changing the voting districts between census dates at the request of Trump who shouldn’t have made the request in the first place. The president of the United States should never involve himself with voting districts of any state. My interpretation of the Missouri Constitution regarding voting districts is that they are changed after a U.S. census which happens every ten years and the voting districts were just in 2022 following the 2020 census.

Allow me to translate:
“I have big feelings, bc my buddies Hoskins and Hanaway got slapped back UNANIMOUSLY by the MO Supreme Court. Their plot to gerrymander my weak campaign to a narrow lead has ended, and now I’m going to lose bigly.” 😭

Rick challenge you actually reply to this. Explain how 5 republicans and 2 democrats on a unanimous decision yesterday represents a “liberal activist majority?” I’ll wait.

What’s the matter? Afraid you won’t win if the people of the State, including the ones you’re supposed to represent, get to decide?

If Hoskins hadn’t waited until the 11th hour to act on the referendum, those votes wouldn’t have been affected. Can’t have your cake and eat it too.

“….The secretary [of State – Denny Hoskins] devotes a significant portion of his briefing to discussing the confusion, expense, and practical difficulties that may result from not utilizing the congressional redistricting in HB 1 for the November 2026 election. Besides being irrelevant to the secretary’s sole basis for declaring the referendum petition insufficient, these arguments are particularly misplaced given the secretary’s delay created the confusion, expense, and practical difficulties of which he complains….”

5 of the 7 MO Supreme Court judges were appointed by Republican governors.
The current seven judges of the Supreme Court of Missouri were appointed by the following governors Wesley Brent Powell (Chief Justice): Appointed by Governor Eric Greitens (R) in April 2017.
Zel Fischer: Appointed by Governor Matt Blunt (R) in October 2008.
Mary Rhodes Russell: Appointed by Governor Bob Holden (D) in September 2004.
Paul C. Wilson: Appointed by Governor Jay Nixon (D) in December 2012.
Robin Ransom: Appointed by Governor Mike Parson (R) in May 2021.
Kelly C. Broniec: Appointed by Governor Mike Parson (R) in September 2023.
Ginger Gooch: Appointed by Governor Mike Parson (R) in October 2023

He is saying the decision disenfranchises voters by letting voters vote on something.

Voting on matters that impact all voters should be voted on. What’s the problem?

More like conservative leaning unanimous decision

It is interesting that a unanimous ruling by seven judges including five appointed by Republican governors is a “liberal majority”. Please explain.

Hey Ricky, how about you do some research on how many judges were appointed by your party. Let me know if you need help doing the math

You knew darn well this was a risk if not a probability through the whole election. This is the f o part of fa

They got greedy.

Sorry Mr. Brattin, but Denny Hoskins done that all by himself, had he done his job, it would all been settled Aug. 4th.

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As said to the Governor; If this Representative Republic was meant to be run by NINE UNELECTED JUDGES, then it would not have an Executive and Legislative Branch. This is an unconstitutional ruling and should be ignored.

Actually, it’s seven judges. They are appointed by the sitting governor (chosen from among three put forward by an independent commission) and then face a statewide retention vote by Missouri voters in a general election. All seven sitting Missouri Supreme Court judges have been retained by the voters, two have been retained twice.

Don’t fall asleep in school, kids.

did you skip high school civics?

Good News! There’s not nine.

So you think court rulings can be ignored? These are not useless executive orders but conclusions reached by education, experienced judges.

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Why won’t you just listen to your constituents? That is the bottom line in all of this. The current administration has been trying to take away our right to rule out state since they were elected (remember amendments 4 and 5 last month) – they have forgotten that they work for us.
We just have to keep reminding them, is all.

At what point do you decide to stop embarrassing yourself?

The decision by the supreme court was UNANIMOUS. This means that ALL the judges agreed on the decision. If voters were disenfranchised with the use of the new map in the primary it is entirely the fault of the Secretary of State and the Attorney general who decided to go ahead with the new maps even in the face of the referendum petition. They are responsible for the fiasco.

In 1942, a constitutional amendment bearing the title “Nonpartisan Selection of Judges” was placed on the ballot and approved by a majority of the voters. The amendment applied only to judges of the Supreme Court, the three regional courts of appeal, and the circuit courts in the City of St. Louis and Jackson County. In later years, the voters of St. Louis County, Clay County, and Platte County have chosen to select their circuit and associate circuit judges in the same manner. The method of selection provided for in the 1940 amendment has been known as the “Missouri Plan.” It has been copied in whole and in part by quite a few states.
The selection is non partisan…
So, once again you think you are smarter than we, the people?

Your political advertising is laughable 🤡

Senator Brattin should read the opinion before attacking the Court.
The Missouri Supreme Court did not redraw a single district. It unanimously held that politicians cannot simply erase Missourians’ constitutional right to referendum. Five of the seven judges Brattin calls a “liberal activist majority” were appointed by Republican governors.
And his claim that judicial intervention in congressional maps is unprecedented is simply false.
The Court did not create this mess. Denny Hoskins sat on the petitions for nearly eight months and waited until the final deadline to reject them.
The Constitution belongs to the people, Senator. Not the Legislature. Not the Republican Party. The people.

So your pissed that the election in Missouri can’t be rigged?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when the courts initially upheld the maps, they also said that the referendum could go forward. The fact that this had it’s day in court now is because Hoskins played games and waited until the primaries to refuse to certify. The MO Supreme Court even cautioned him against running down the clock on the hearings. This is Hoskin’s fault.
Also, what do you call ignoring 300,000 signatures saying we want our say first? Because that sounds a lot more like disenfranchising voters than people who lost out on a primary vote. Especially one that ran out of Democratic ballots in multiple locations. If Republicans had any confidence in their own party, they wouldn’t need these maps, these stupid certifying games, or to try and plant drugs on their opponents. Worry about that first, Bratin.

The Republicans have a supermajority on the State Supreme Court, you absolute clown.
Please show us where the liberal activist majority is on the Republican supermajority doll.

Maybe your friend the secretary of state shouldnt have dragged his feet doing his job processing the petitions if he didnt want this to be getting litigated in the middle of the election. But ofc he didnt, because he was hoping if he slacked long enough that there wouldnt be time and the voters of missouri could be effectively silenced. Its so fun to watch yall make up reasons to be outraged when you finally get called on your bs

Denny Hoskins is responsible for “invalidating a primary election”. He should not have used the map in the primary until this played out in court. He knew this would happen. He planned on this chaos. This is his doing. If you’re upset about a primary being “invalidated” then you need to impeach Hoskins. 👍

Oxygen thief.

‘a liberal activist majority on the Missouri Supreme Court” BRATTIN ARE YOU ON ACID? OR JUST EFFIN STUPID?

Something something snowflakes

There is absolutely nothing about any of the branches of our state government that is “liberal”.
You’re just a crybaby

You started this clown show, Buddy!

Chaser:

In 2022 Rick Brattin (r) ran in the republican primary in the 4th Congressional District. “Missourians for Truth”, a PAC, spent money on mailings opposed to Rick Brattin and supporting Mark Alford (r). Mark Alford won the primary. The images from the mailings were priceless:

Our favorite image from those mailings:

Rick Brattin could have filed in the 4th Congressional District republican primary, facing Mark Alford again. But he didn’t.

Previously:

HB 1: Gerrymander this (September 9, 2025)

Can play with AI, can’t be bothered to certify petition signatures (June 7, 2026)

Denny Hoskins (r) is a pre-eminent legal scholar and final arbiter of the Missouri Constitution, said no one ever… (August 4, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court: “HB 1 congressional redistricting, yeah, no.” (September 3, 2026)

Favorite whine (September 3, 2026)

Gov. Mike Kehoe (r) thinks we’re all ignorant and stupid (September 3, 2026)

What the Missouri Supreme Court said (September 3, 2026)

Missouri Supreme Court slaps down Denny Hoskins (r)….again (September 4, 2026)