Democrats Score Big Win As Republican-Appointed Judge Tosses GOP Map In Deep Red State

A Utah judge on Monday struck down a GOP-drawn map that would have locked in Republican control of all four congressional districts, giving Democrats a shot at a House seat in the deep-red state.

District Judge Dianna Gibson, appointed by former Republican Gov. Gary Herbert, ruled that the GOP’s new map “fails to abide by and conform with the requirements” of a 2018 ballot measure that created a nonpartisan redistricting standard in the state. Gibson instead selected a Democrat-backed proposal that consolidates much of Salt Lake City into a single, left-leaning district.

The new map could open a path for Democrats to reclaim a congressional seat in Utah for the first time since 2021. It marks the latest development in a national redistricting fight, as both parties vie for additional congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Utah voters approved a ballot initiative in 2018 that created an independent redistricting body, but the state Legislature passed S.B. 200 in 2020, limiting the commission’s role to an advisory capacity, according to the Utah News Dispatch. When the 2020 census data arrived, lawmakers ignored the commission’s proposal and drew their own map, the outlet reported.

Gibson ruled in August that the map was unconstitutional and ordered the Legislature to redraw the boundaries. On Monday, the judge ultimately adopted a map drawn by the plaintiffs — the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government — that keeps Salt Lake County largely in one district rather than dividing it into four.

The Utah state House and Senate Democrats hailed the decision as a “win for every Utahn,” while Republican leaders blasted the ruling as judicial overreach, arguing the judge has no authority to impose a map not approved by the Legislature.

State Rep. Matt MacPherson called Gibson’s move a “gross abuse of power” and said he’s proposing a bill to pursue her impeachment.

The decision disrupts GOP plans for a clean sweep in a deep-red state, even as Republicans push mid-decade redistricting elsewhere as part of a national effort, encouraged by President Donald Trump, to strengthen Republican control of the House ahead of 2026.

Republican-led legislatures in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina have each redrawn their maps, creating a combined seven additional GOP-leaning seats.

Meanwhile, California voters handed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom a major win on Nov. 4, approving his partisan gerrymandering proposal to create up to five more Democratic House seats ahead of the midterms. In Virginia, Democrats convened a special session in late October to redraw congressional lines in hopes of gaining as many as three seats next year, while eyeing further gains in states such as Maryland and Illinois.