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A Utah judge has rejected a congressional map drawn by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature, instead adopting a new map that creates a competitive, Democratic-leaning district for the 2026 elections. The decision by Third District Judge Dianna Gibson marks a significant moment in the state's protracted legal battle over redistricting and could reshape its political landscape.
The ruling is the latest development in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of plaintiffs, including the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government. They argued that the map enacted by lawmakers in 2021 was an extreme partisan gerrymander that violated the Utah Constitution. The 2021 map divided Salt Lake County, the state's most populous and Democratic-leaning area, across all four of its congressional districts, a practice known as "cracking." This effectively diluted the votes of Democrats and ensured solid Republican majorities in each district.
After an initial ruling found the map unconstitutional, the Legislature submitted a revised plan, which Judge Gibson also rejected in favor of a map drawn by a court-appointed commission. This new map consolidates much of Salt Lake County into a single, compact district. The decision reorients Utah's political geography for federal elections, giving Democrats a strong opportunity to win a congressional seat for the first time in over a decade.
The change fundamentally redraws the 2nd Congressional District, currently held by a Republican, into a district where a Democrat would be favored to win. This outcome directly addresses the core arguments of the lawsuit, which centered on partisan fairness and adherence to voter-approved anti-gerrymandering principles. The decision has been celebrated by voting rights advocates as a victory for fair representation, though Republican legislative leaders have signaled their intent to appeal the ruling to the Utah Supreme Court. The legal fight over the fairness of Utah's voter map is therefore likely to continue, but for now, the court-mandated map is set to be used in the 2026 election cycle.
