A Utah district judge is set to deliver a major ruling Monday on which of three congressional maps will be used in the state’s 2026 midterm elections — a decision that could determine whether Democrats have a shot at flipping one of Utah’s four Republican-held U.S. House seats.
According to Fox News, Utah District Judge Dianna Gibson will decide between a map drawn by the GOP-controlled legislature and two alternatives proposed by the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government. The groups sued, claiming the current map unfairly favored Republicans.
Gibson previously struck down that map, forcing lawmakers to redraw district lines. The new legislative map could open the door for Democrats in two of the four districts.
She said she would issue her decision by Nov. 10 — the deadline set by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson for implementing new maps ahead of the 2026 elections.
The fight over Utah’s political boundaries is the latest in a nationwide redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans on one side, and Democrats on the other, as both parties look to shape the congressional landscape ahead of the midterms.
California voters recently approved Proposition 50, handing redistricting power back to the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature — a move expected to create several new Democratic-leaning districts. That change would offset new Republican-leaning maps passed earlier this year in Texas.
“California stepped up. Now, we are taking this fight across the country — helping Democrats in other states push back against Trump’s election rigging,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week.
The ruling in Utah comes as part of a broader nationwide struggle over control of the U.S. House, with both parties working to secure every possible advantage before the 2026 midterm elections.
