Stand Up for Fair Maps and Honest Government—From Texas to Missouri

By Ricky Dana, Candidate for US House, Missouri-4

What’s happening in Texas is a warning for the whole country. A major Texas newspaper blasted Governor Greg Abbott for putting partisan map-drawing ahead of basic governance. That’s not leadership. Civil disobedience has long been part of our democratic tradition when those in power try to rig the rules. I will always stand with citizens who demand fairness and accountability—peacefully and lawfully.

Here in Missouri, I will fight for fair maps and honest government. Our congressional districts are drawn by the legislature as a regular statute. Any attempt to change maps mid-decade would still have to meet state and federal constitutional standards and would face court review. If politicians try to tilt the field before an election, I’ll push back—loudly and within the law—so Missourians keep the right to choose their leaders, not the other way around.

Reports of a possible special session to redraw Missouri’s congressional map mirror the power-grabs we’re seeing in Texas. I’m a Missouri-grown centrist who will work with anyone—Republican, Democrat, or Independent—when it helps our families, farms, and small towns. Cheating the map breaks trust and weakens government. We will not fix America by gaming districts.

Some politicians, like my opponent Mark “Awful” Alford, serve big donors and special interests first. You can see it in the money and the votes. Public records show who funds their campaigns and how they vote when it counts. That’s why I support stronger transparency, an end to partisan gerrymandering, and tighter rules on big-money influence. Missourians deserve representatives who answer to them—not to super PACs or out-of-state benefactors.

I believe in checks and balances. No governor, president, or member of Congress is above the Constitution. When leaders try to change the rules midstream, voters lose faith and problems go unsolved. The fix is simple: fair rules, fair maps, and fair elections. I’ll defend those principles in Congress every single day.

If you’re tired of division and political theater, you have a choice. Send me to Washington and I will defend fair, legal maps; work across the aisle on real solutions for broadband, rural clinics, flood recovery, farm input costs, and small business growth; strengthen transparency and anti-corruption reforms; and put principle over party and Missourians over special interests.

Missouri is strongest when the rules are honest and everyone plays by them. That’s how we lower costs, create jobs, and restore respect for our state and our country. I’ll never sell out Missourians for campaign cash. I’ll listen, be straight with you, and do the work.

This isn’t just about Texas. It’s about protecting American freedom—right here at home.

Sources:

Houston Chronicle Editorial Board: Abbott prioritized redistricting over flood recovery (Aug. 2025)

Washington Post (Opinion): Texas ignited a gerrymandering fight (Aug. 5, 2025)

CBS News: Texas redistricting push to add GOP House seats before 2026 (Aug. 8, 2025)

Missouri Independent: Special session ‘likely’ to redraw Missouri’s congressional map (Aug. 2, 2025)

Loyola Law School—All About Redistricting: Missouri overview—legislature draws congressional maps as statute

U.S. House: Rep. Mark Alford—official vote record

OpenSecrets: Rep. Mark Alford—campaign finance summary