A Utah judge rejected a new congressional map drawn by Republican state lawmakers in a landmark decision issued late Monday night, instead ordering that a map drawn by plaintiffs with a district favoring Democrats be put in place ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The ruling from 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson is the latest development in a yearslong legal battle since the state Legislature repealed Proposition 4, an anti-gerrymandering initiative passed by voters in 2018.
The new map chosen by Gibson creates a heavily Democratic-leaning district in the northern part of Salt Lake County and is the first time in 25 years that Utah has a congressional district favoring Democrats.
The map originally chosen by the Legislature was, Gibson wrote, an “extreme” partisan gerrymander. She also noted that the lawmakers’ expert who drew the map said during a hearing that partisan data was displayed while he worked, which is explicitly prohibited under Prop 4.
“In short, [the Legislature’s map] does not comply with Utah law,” Gibson wrote in her ruling.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson previously told the court that Monday, Nov. 10, was the latest that a map could be adopted in order for county clerks to prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.
Despite Gibson’s ruling, the battle over Utah’s congressional districts may not yet be over. GO lawmakers may appeal her decision and were quick to decry her ruling Monday night.
So what district will Utah voters be in for the 2026 congressional elections?
Scroll in on the map below to where you live and see which congressional boundary you’ll vote in, according to the judge’s pick.
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