The Utah Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that the state’s current congressional map violates the Utah Constitution.
At the center of the dispute is Proposition 4, the 2018 ballot initiative known as Better Boundaries. Narrowly approved by voters (50.3%), the law aimed to curb gerrymandering by establishing an independent redistricting commission and setting constitutional standards for how political lines are drawn.
But in 2020, the Republican-led Legislature passed SB 200, effectively gutting the initiative. Lawmakers reclaimed full control of redistricting and sidelined the commission.
The maps adopted in 2021 split Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County into four heavily Republican districts, helping the GOP maintain its hold on all four of Utah’s congressional seats.
That partisan tilt prompted a legal challenge. Last month, District Judge Dianna Gibson ordered the Legislature to redraw the map by Sept. 24, 2025, ruling it violated constitutional principles approved by voters through Proposition 4.
The high court’s decision Tuesday keeps that order in place. Lawmakers are now formally obligated to create new maps that comply with the state constitution.
The Hill reports:
The state’s top court already ruled last year that the Legislature can’t revise voter-approved ballot initiatives.
A new map could potentially create a blue district in Utah centered around Salt Lake County or at least create a district more competitive than under the current map.
The case in Utah has received particular attention as the national redistricting battle continues to brew with states trying to add as many seats for one party as possible for the midterms. Texas and California lawmakers are both hoping to pick up as many as five additional seats if their new proposed maps hold.
A new map in Missouri is also poised to go into effect once Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signs it into law, potentially adding one more Republican-held seat. But it will likely face legal challenges and an effort for voters to be able to reject it.
Utah’s legislative leaders say they intend to comply with the ruling but may still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Even so, the Utah Supreme Court’s decision narrows the path for delay and increases pressure on lawmakers ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
For Democrats, it’s the best shot in years at flipping a congressional seat in one of the most Republican-dominated states in the country.
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