911±¬ÁÏÍø

The plan, which advanced to the Senate on an 86-67 vote, leaves intact the safe Democratic district of U.S. Rep. , D-Kansas City, which some Republicans opposed. It also shores up Republican U.S. Rep. ‘s GOP-leaning 2nd Congressional District in the 911±¬ÁÏÍø suburbs, which Democrats want to make more competitive for the next decade.

Even with the “6-2� plan advancing, supporters weren’t able to muster the 109 votes needed for the map to take immediate effect, with most Democrats withholding support and many Republicans breaking ranks to vote down an emergency clause. A vote on the emergency clause provision failed 95-55.

The map now moves to the Senate, where that chamber may make changes and place an emergency clause on the bill. Doing so would send the plan back to the House, where votes on the revised map and emergency clause would take place.

Conservative hard-liners in the Senate on Wednesday said they planned to block the plan; they want an aggressive gerrymander that would eliminate Cleaver’s safe Democratic district.

Sen. , R-Weldon Spring, said the GOP could’ve approved a “7-1� map and that Wagner’s district could flip to the Democrats this decade, resulting in a 5-3 split between Democrats and Republicans.

“Given the trends that we see in 911±¬ÁÏÍø County, that’s going to be filled by a Democratic representative in the years to come,â€� Eigel said. “We’ve got a real fight on our hands to fight for the Republican message here in the Senate.â€�

Like Eigel, Sen. , R-Lake Saint Louis, said the possibility that Missouri could send three Democrats to Congress within a few elections would give President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi more votes to support a Democratic agenda.

“It’s bizarre in the extreme,� Onder said.

The “6-2� map emerged from the House with few changes from an original draft unveiled in December. At the time, Sen. , the Republican chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee, praised the House version.

“This is a fair and constitutional map with common-sense boundaries that everyday Missourians can recognize,� Bernskoetter said in December.

In the House, Democrats spoke against the “6-2� plan, even though the majority of Republicans have opted not to pursue a more aggressive “7-1� plan.

That fact appeared to draw complaints from Rep. , R-Ashland, who is running for Congress in the 4th Congressional District.

“We bend over backwards,� Walsh said. “We work with them all the time and they still vote against what we put forward.�

Rep. , D-Raytown, said Missourians deserved a better map.

“This map continues to ... not (be) reflective of Missouri,� he said.

The map splits 911±¬ÁÏÍø County between the 1st and 2nd congressional districts like the system currently in place.

The 1st, represented by U.S. Rep. , D-911±¬ÁÏÍø, would take in more Webster Groves-area precincts than it currently does. Democrats have unsuccessfully pushed a plan that would move these majority white, Democratic-leaning areas to the 2nd.

Rep. , D-911±¬ÁÏÍø, said to shift the boundaries of the 1st would strengthen its minority-majority status. Rep. , D-Shrewsbury, said areas she represents would be better off in the 2nd.

“CD 1 is a voting rights district and my district is working to reconcile with a history of racism,� Unsicker said. “I don’t agree with that being part of a voting rights district.�

St. Charles County would be divided between the 2nd and 3rd districts under the plan. The St. Charles County delegation has advocated for placing the entire county within one congressional district, so far to no avail.

Jefferson County, south of 911±¬ÁÏÍø, would be placed entirely within the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Rep. , R-St. Elizabeth, near Jefferson City, in mid-Missouri.

The county is currently split between the 2nd, 3rd and 8th congressional districts.

Lincoln County, north of 911±¬ÁÏÍø, would move from the 3rd District to the 6th District, covering northern Missouri.

Kurt Erickson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.