**Utah Judge Rejects GOP-Drawn Congressional Map, Approves Democrat-Leaning Alternative Ahead of 2026 Midterms**
Salt Lake City — A Utah judge on Monday rejected a new congressional map drawn by Republican lawmakers and instead adopted an alternate proposal that creates a Democrat-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Currently, Republicans hold all four of Utah’s U.S. House seats and had advanced a map designed to protect their majority. However, Judge Dianna Gibson ruled just before a midnight deadline that the Legislature’s new map “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.”
Judge Gibson had earlier ordered lawmakers to draw a map that complies with voter-established standards to ensure districts do not deliberately favor any party—a practice known as gerrymandering. She warned that if the Legislature failed to comply, she might consider alternative maps submitted by plaintiffs involved in a lawsuit that led her to throw out Utah’s existing map.
Ultimately, Gibson selected a map drawn by plaintiffs including the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government. This new map keeps Salt Lake County almost entirely within one district, instead of dividing the heavily Democratic population center among all four districts as was previously the case.
The ruling comes as a significant setback for Republicans in a state where they had expected a clean sweep, especially as they are trying to add winnable seats elsewhere nationwide. Democrats need to net three U.S. House seats in next year’s midterms to take control of the chamber from the GOP, which is working to avoid the historic midterm pattern of losing seats for the president’s party.
The newly approved map gives Democrats a much stronger chance to flip a seat in Utah—a state that has not had a Democrat in Congress since early 2021.
“This is a win for every Utahn,” said state House and Senate Democrats in a joint statement. “We took an oath to serve the people of Utah, and fair representation is the truest measure of that promise.”
In August, Judge Gibson struck down Utah’s congressional map adopted after the 2020 census, ruling that the Legislature had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters.
The ruling has thrust Utah into a national redistricting battle, especially as former President Donald Trump has urged other Republican-led states to undertake mid-decade redistricting efforts to help the GOP retain control of the House in 2026.
Several Democratic-led states are also considering new maps, with California voters recently approving a map that could help Democrats win five more seats.
Despite these developments, Republicans remain ahead in the overall redistricting fight. While redistricting typically occurs once a decade after the census, there are no federal prohibitions against redrawing maps mid-decade. Some states, particularly those led by Democrats, have enacted their own restrictions.
The Utah ruling provides an unexpected boost for Democrats, who generally have fewer opportunities to gain seats through redistricting.
Had Gibson approved the Legislature’s map, all four districts would have remained Republican-leaning, although two districts might have become slightly more competitive for Democrats. The GOP’s strategy relied on securing all four seats by slimmer margins rather than creating a single Democratic-leaning district.
The ruling was issued just minutes before midnight on the state’s deadline to enact a new congressional map, a key date set by the chief election official to allow county clerks enough time to prepare for candidate filings for the 2026 midterms.
Republicans argue that Judge Gibson lacks the legal authority to enact a map not approved by the Legislature. State Representative Matt MacPherson called the ruling a “gross abuse of power” and has introduced a bill to pursue impeachment proceedings against Gibson.
In her ruling, Gibson emphasized her obligation to ensure a lawful map was in place by the deadline.
Meanwhile, CBS Salt Lake City affiliate KUTV reports that Republicans have been holding meetings across Utah to promote a ballot initiative aimed at repealing Proposition 4—the law that created the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission.
Supporters of the repeal effort need to collect approximately 140,000 signatures to place the measure on the 2026 ballot, giving voters the final say on whether to keep or abolish the commission.
Even if the Utah GOP succeeds in this effort, Judge Gibson’s ruling will determine Utah’s congressional districts for the 2026 election cycle.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/utah-judge-republican-drawn-congressional-map-democratic-leaning-district/