The start of the 2013 session of Congress last Thursday marked the official end of Missouri's 9th Congressional District, and it created 400,000 new constituents for Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth.
After the 2010 U.S. Census, Missouri lost one congressional district because the state's population growth was slower than other areas of the nation. Missouri now has eight members in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Missouri's loss of one district in Congress meant a drastic redrawing of the state's congressional district lines, but many Central Missouri counties, including Callaway County, are included in Luetkemeyer's new district. Cole County was added to Luetkemeyer's new 3rd District from the 4th District now represented by Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville. Boone County was shifted from Luetkemeyer's district to Hartzler's district.