Utah judge Dianna M. Gibson tossed a state Republican-proposed redistricting map on Monday, opting for a plaintiff-proposed map that helps Democrats‘ chances of winning a congressional seat.
Gibson said the GOP-proposed map “was drawn with the purpose to favor Republicans,” ruling that it violates Utah’s Proposition 4 law, a state ballot initiative passed in 2018 that bans partisan gerrymandering.
The Republican legislature proposed “Map C” created four separate districts, dividing the state relatively down the middle, with three districts in the west and one in the east. It also divides both Salt Lake and Davis Counties, which surround the state’s main liberal bastion of Salt Lake City. Gibson called the map an “extreme partisan outlier,” based on partisan bias tests conducted on each proposed map in the case.
“Map C creates four districts in which zero Democratic statewide candidates have prevailed under the assessed elections,” Gibson wrote in the ruling.
Gibson rejected the legislature’s map by placing a preliminary injunction on its enforcement and instead adopted plaintiff-drawn “Map 1” as the prevailing map. “Map 1” was one of two maps drawn by plaintiffs in the court case — the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government — who argued against the state legislature. “Map 1” creates four districts, with one small district encompassing much of the northern part of Salt Lake County.
“In short, Map C does not comply with Utah law. Because the Lieutenant Governor’s November 10, 2025, deadline for a map to be finalized is upon us, the Court bears the unwelcome obligation to ensure that a lawful map is in place, which the Court discharges by adopting Plaintiffs’ Map 1 for Utah’s congressional elections,” Gibson wrote in the ruling.
The selected map favors Democrats the most out of any of the three proposed maps. The selected “Map 1” gives Democrats an over 17-point edge in the Salt Lake County district, according to a Salt Lake Tribune analysis, while Republicans have an over two-to-one lead in the other districts.
Utah’s current congressional map from 2021 favors Republicans in all four districts by anywhere from 19 to 28 points, according to the same outlet.
In a joint statement on the redistricting ruling, Utah Senate and House Democrats said they “feel a deep sense of hope and relief” after the selection of “Map 1.”
THE LIKELY HOUSE GOP CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING SURVIVORS
“This is a win for every Utahn. We took an oath to serve the people of Utah, and fair representation is the truest measure of that promise,” Utah Senate and House Democrats said.
The win for Democrats follows California’s win with Prop 50, as Democrats make headway in their fight to counter GOP-favored redistricting in states like Texas and North Carolina.
