Judge rules Utah’s congressional map must be redrawn for the 2026 elections

Utah Senate floor is shown, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file)

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature will need to rapidly redraw the state’s congressional boundaries after a judge ruled Monday that the Republican-controlled body drew them in violation of voters’ rights.

The current map, drawn in 2021, divides Salt Lake County — the state’s population centre and a Democratic stronghold — among the state’s four congressional districts, all of which have since elected Republicans by wide margins. District Court Judge Dianna Gibson declared the map unlawful because the Legislature circumvented a commission established by voters to ensure districts aren’t drawn to favour any party.

New maps will need to be drawn quickly for the 2026 midterm elections. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, the state’s top elections official, asked the courts for the case to be finalized by November to leave time for the process before candidates start filing in early January. But appeals promised by Republican lawmakers could help them run out the clock to possibly delay adopting new maps until 2028.

The ruling creates uncertainty in a state that was thought to be a clean sweep for the GOP as the party is preparing to defend its slim majority in the U.S. House. Nationally, Democrats need to net three seats next year to take control of the chamber. The sitting president’s party tends to lose seats in the midterms, as was the case for U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018.

Trump has urged several Republican-led states to add winnable seats for the GOP. In Texas, a plan awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval includes five new districts that would favour Republicans. Ohio Republicans already were scheduled to revise their maps to make them more partisan, and Indiana, Florida and Missouri may choose to make changes. Some Democrat-led states say they may enter the redistricting battle, but so far only California has taken action to offset GOP gains in Texas.

Hannah Schoenbaum, The Associated Press