Missouri's 6th congressional district

Missouri's 6th congressional district takes in a large swath of land in northern Missouri, stretching across nearly the entire width of the state from Kansas to Illinois. Its largest voting population is centered in the northern portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area and the City of St. Joseph. The district includes much of Kansas City north of the Missouri River (including Kansas City International Airport).

The district takes in all or parts of the following counties: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, De Kalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Jackson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Marion, Mercer, Monroe, Nodaway, Pike, Platte, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Sullivan, Worth.

Notable representatives from the district include governors John Smith Phelps and Austin A. King as well as Kansas City Mayor Robert T. Van Horn. In 1976, Jerry Litton was killed on election night as he flew to a victory party after winning the Democratic nomination for United States Senate. The visitors center at Smithville Lake is named in Litton's memory. Democrat Pat Danner, a former aide to Jerry Litton, won the seat in 1992 becoming the first woman to be elected in the district, defeating 16-year Republican incumbent Tom Coleman.

George W. Bush beat John Kerry in this district 57%Ã¢ÂÂ42% in 2004. The district is represented by Republican Sam Graves, who has held the seat since 2001. Graves easily held on to his seat what was expected to be a tough 2008 election, defeating former Kansas City mayor Kay Waldo Barnes by 23 percentage points.

Graves announced on March 27, 2026 that he will not be seeking re-election.

Historically, the 6th was not safe for either party. However, in recent years, it has trended Republican, mirroring the increasingly conservative bent of the more rural areas of Missouri that historically voted for Yellow Dog Democrats. President Donald J. Trump won the 6th District, under the 2026 boundaries, by a 63%-36% margin, trouncing Kamala Harris.

History

Redistricting following 2010 census

After Missouri lost a congressional seat following the 2010 census (in part because of losses in population in several rural northern Missouri counties), the 6th was expanded to include most of Missouri north of the Missouri River, stretching from border to border from Kansas to Illinois. The biggest geographic addition was in northeast Missouri (including Kirksville, Missouri and Hannibal, Missouri), which used to be the northern half of the old 9th district.

The 6th lost Cooper and Howard counties to the 4th district, and Gladstone in southwestern Clay County to the 5th district. Meanwhile, the 6th was pushed further into Jackson County, taking in the northeastern portion between the Missouri River and Interstate 70, as well as a small sliver southwest of Independence.

In the 2020 redistricting, more of Clay County was ceded the 5th District, including North Kansas City, but gaining Ray County from the 5th. The district also moved into the St. Louis metropolitan area for the first time, gaining Lincoln County, including its largest city, Troy, from the 3rd district.

Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties, townships, and municipalities:

Adair County (6)

All 6 communities

Andrew County (9)

All 9 communities

Atchison County (5)

All 5 communities

Audrain County (9)

All 9 communities

Buchanan County (8)

All 8 communities

Caldwell County (7)

All 7 communities