Utah congressional map must be redrawn for 2026 elections, judge rules
A federal judge, Dianna Gibson, ruled that Utah’s congressional map must be redrawn before the 2026 elections. The judge found that the Republican-controlled Utah legislature violated state law by creating districts that favored one party and disregarded the independent redistricting commission meant to prevent gerrymandering. the ruling criticized the legislature for ignoring voters’ constitutional rights to fair redistricting. Utah’s current map divides Democratic-leaning salt Lake City across multiple districts, resulting in all four congressional seats being held by Republicans. With the midterm elections just over a year away, the state legislature must now urgently redraw the maps, though Republicans may appeal the decision to delay changes untill 2028. this case is part of a wider national debate on redistricting, following aggressive moves by Texas Republicans to reduce Democratic representation, with other states like California, New York, Maryland, and Illinois planning their own redistricting responses.
Utah congressional map must be redrawn for 2026 elections, judge rules
A federal judge ruled that Utah’s congressional map must be redrawn before next year’s elections.
District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled on Monday that the Republican-controlled Utah legislature had drawn districts counter to Utah law, preventing redistricting that favors any party. She held that the legislature had weakened and ignored its independent redistricting commission established to prevent gerrymandering.
In her ruling, Gibson said the problem lay in “the Legislature’s refusal to respect the people’s exercise of their constitutional lawmaking power and to honor the people’s right to reform their government.”
The ruling leaves the Utah legislature scrambling to redraw its districts for the midterm elections just over 14 months away. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson asked the courts to finalize the case by November, the Associated Press reported, so that a new map could be drawn before candidates begin filing in January.
Republicans could try appealing the ruling to push the case past the deadline, allowing the state to keep the current districts until 2028.
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Utah’s four congressional districts are all Republican, due in no small part to the current map dividing Salt Lake City, a blue bastion, across each district.
The ruling comes amid a national debate on redistricting triggered by Texas Republicans’ aggressive redistricting of the state to strip Democrats of five seats. California is drawing up its own map in retaliation, with leaders from New York, Maryland, and Illinois signaling similar plans.
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