Denny Hoskins
Missouri's secretary of state, the state's chief elections official.
On 21 September, the Eighth Circuit ordered Missouri to use its 2025 congressional map, HB 1, in November. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is at the centre of the resulting election-law dispute.
Last refreshed: 24 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will the Supreme Court let Missouri use HB 1's map in November?
Timeline for Denny Hoskins
Filed against a pause of the order
US Midterms 2026: 8th Circuit puts Missouri on 2025 mapBreached the HB 1 suspension order, then reversed again before judgment
US Midterms 2026: Court finds Hoskins in civil contemptDirected local authorities to the 2022 map without reconciling certified candidates
US Midterms 2026: Candidates certified on a discarded mapCited the TRO to justify reverting to HB 1, then failed to enjoin the state court
US Midterms 2026: Federal judge orders HB 1 back into useApplied for an emergency stay of the Missouri map ruling
US Midterms 2026: Missouri takes its map to KavanaughBackground
Denny Hoskins is Missouri’s secretary of state and the state’s chief elections official. The office places him in charge of election administration when courts, candidates and voters need a clear account of the rules governing a contest.
His public role became especially visible during Missouri’s September 2026 dispute over the congressional map for the November election. Courts issued conflicting directions on whether the state should use HB 1 or the earlier 2022 map, putting the secretary of state’s administration of ballots, candidate certification and district assignments under scrutiny.
For readers following Missouri elections, Hoskins matters because his office turns court orders into the practical machinery of an election. That role makes the secretary of state a key public official whenever litigation changes, or appears to change, the map under which voters and candidates must proceed.
Hoskins contests Missouri’s map reversal
On 3 September, Missouri’s Supreme Court suspended HB 1 after the state had sent the map to voters. Hoskins, as secretary of state, became responsible for administering an election whose governing district map was under direct judicial challenge.
The conflict sharpened in September. A federal judge ordered HB 1 back into use on 8 September, while the state’s top court maintained the opposite position. On 10 September, the Missouri Supreme Court found Hoskins in civil contempt over its suspension order, then purged the finding after he changed course. The Eighth Circuit ordered use of HB 1 on 21 September and paused its order until 28 September.
Who is Denny Hoskins?
Why did Denny Hoskins go to the Supreme Court?
What is Hoskins v. Von Glahn?
