For nearly 15 years, the 4th Congressional District that takes in portions of the Kansas City area, southern Missouri and mid-Missouri has been super safe for Republicans.
That may not be the case if Gov. Mike Kehoe calls lawmakers back into special session to redraw the state’s congressional districts. But the seat's current holder, Rep. Mark Alford of Cass County, said he’s ready for any challenge that may come his way.
“I don't care where the lines are drawn,” Alford said in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio. “If it does happen, like you're saying, yes, it will diminish my Republican strength in this district. But I will still work just as hard. I will listen even more. And I will make sure that when I am sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2027, if there is this new district, I will fight just as hard for every individual in that district, no matter what your party affiliation is.”
President Donald Trump is pressuring Republican states like Missouri to redraw their congressional boundaries in time for the 2026 midterm elections. Kehoe hasn’t ruled out that possibility, and the target would almost certainly be Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s 5th District.
But Republicans didn’t go after Cleaver in 2022, primarily due to fears that the nearby 4th and 6th Districts could become more competitive if the 5th District is transformed into a GOP-leaning seat. That’s because some of Kansas City, which is heavily Democratic, would have to be put in the districts that Alford and 6th District Congressman Sam Graves represent.
And while the 4th and the 6th District would still be Republican-leaning seats in that scenario, they may be highly competitive in a potentially down year for the GOP. That could force national Republican groups to spend millions of dollars to prevent those seats from flipping to Democrats.
For his part, Alford said he is staying neutral in the redistricting fight. That’s in contrast to U.S. Reps. Bob Onder and Eric Burlison, who are openly calling for the legislature to draw Cleaver, D-Kansas City, into a much tougher district.
He also said that he’s well known in the urban core of Kansas City, thanks to his time as a broadcast news journalist.
“Emanuel Cleaver is a friend of mine. He was mayor in Kansas City when I was starting out anchoring here at the Fox station in 1998,” Alford said. “But people here know me, and they know that I just care. In fact, my son lives in the urban core. We still do a lot of work with families in the urban core. And I will make sure that I listen to people and I try to help no matter who they are or where they come from.”
Cleaver has decried Trump’s push to redraw Missouri’s congressional districts, contending it’s creating turmoil during an already tense time for American politics.
Others have questioned whether Missouri even can do mid-decade redistricting, pointing to constitutional provisions that suggest it can only be done after a census and a requirement for districts to have equal population.
Alford talks public media funding, town halls
Here are other topics Alford talked about in the wide-ranging interview, some of which ran on Friday’s Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air:
- Alford discussed why he, as a former broadcast journalist, supported defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That organization, which is slated to shut down in October, helped fund public radio and public television stations, including St. Louis Public Radio.
- He explained why he backed portions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that affect a tax that helps states pay for Medicaid. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has called for a repeal of medical provider tax restrictions before they go into effect in 2028.
- Alford is planning on a town hall tour when many of his GOP colleagues are skipping the events. Even though some of his town halls this year were contentious, Alford said it’s important for him to stay accessible to his constituents.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
