Federal Court Clears Utah Court-Ordered Congressional Map
A three-judge federal panel denied a GOP request to block a court-imposed Utah congressional map that concentrates Salt Lake County into one district, giving Democrats an improved chance at a House seat.
Overview
A three-judge federal panel denied Republicans' request to preliminarily enjoin use of Utah's court-ordered congressional map for this year's election.
The map was imposed last November after Judge Dianna Gibson struck down the Legislature's 2020 census districts for circumventing anti-gerrymandering standards approved by voters.
The map was submitted by plaintiffs League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, whose president Katharine Biele said they were pleased the court protected the fair map.
Republicans currently hold all four Utah U.S. House seats, and the new map concentrates Salt Lake County into one district instead of splitting it among four.
Republicans may appeal and are pursuing a ballot initiative to repeal an independent redistricting commission and the anti-gerrymandering provision, while candidate filing opens March 9, with caucuses March 17 and conventions April 25.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally: they report the court ruling, explain legal reasoning about gerrymandering, cite plaintiffs (League of Women Voters) and Republican challengers, and include the court’s concern about voter confusion. The piece sticks to factual detail and competing statements rather than using overtly evaluative language.
Sources (6)
FAQ
The court-imposed map concentrates Salt Lake County into one district, making it approximately 43% Republican and more favorable to Democrats, unlike the previous map that split the county among four districts.
Judge Dianna Gibson struck down the Utah Legislature's 2020 census map in August 2025 for violating anti-gerrymandering standards approved by voters in 2018, which aimed to prevent partisan gerrymandering.
The map was submitted by plaintiffs League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and was selected by the court over the legislature's proposal.
Republicans may appeal the decision and are pursuing a ballot initiative to repeal the independent redistricting commission and anti-gerrymandering provision.
History
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