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Utah Judge Orders Plaintiffs’ Map, Establishing Democratic-Leaning U.S. House District for 2026

The decision applies Utah’s voter-approved Prop 4 by selecting lines that keep Salt Lake County mostly within one district.

Overview

  • Judge Dianna Gibson rejected the Legislature’s “Map C,” finding it relied on partisan data, unduly favored Republicans, and violated Proposition 4; she also blocked a recently passed redistricting law.
  • The court adopted the plaintiffs’ “Map 1,” drawn by the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, creating a Democratic-leaning district anchored in Salt Lake County.
  • The ruling was issued just before a Nov. 10 cutoff that Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson set so county clerks can prepare for the 2026 election cycle.
  • Republican leaders denounced the decision as judicial overreach, signaled appeals, and state Rep. Matt MacPherson opened an impeachment bill targeting Gibson.
  • The outcome injects Utah into a broader mid-decade redistricting fight, as Trump-aligned Republicans and Democrats pursue new maps that could shape control of the U.S. House in 2026.