Gerrymandering fails in Utah: Even red states have rules

A Utah state judge struck down the GOP-drawn congressional map Friday, ruling that lawmakers had unconstitutionally diluted the power of Salt Lake City’s voters by splitting the region into four heavily Republican districts. The decision marks a rare victory for Democrats and voting-rights advocates in a state long dominated by Republican control.

Judge Dianna Gibson found that the 2021 redistricting plan “intentionally undermined” the results of a citizen-backed ballot initiative that created an independent redistricting commission. Lawmakers ignored that commission’s proposals, instead carving Salt Lake City into multiple districts to weaken the influence of urban voters, which is a textbook case of partisan gerrymandering.

The ruling orders the legislature to draw a new, fairer map before the 2026 elections. Republicans have already vowed to appeal, calling the decision “judicial overreach.” But voting-rights groups hailed the ruling as a crucial step toward accountability, especially in a state where partisan power has gone largely unchecked for decades.

The case echoes similar redistricting fights in red states like Missouri, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida, where courts have recently stepped in to challenge GOP-engineered maps that diluted the voting strength of Black and urban communities. At the same time, blue states have also faced scrutiny in states like California and New York for using redistricting to secure partisan advantage. Gerrymandering is hardly a one-party problem.

Much of this legislation began in Texas, where new maps continue to face legal challenges for cracking diverse urban centers and consolidating white rural power, a mirror image of Utah’s approach. Together, these cases reflect a national tug-of-war over representation itself: who gets a voice, and who gets erased by a line on a map.

For Utah voters, particularly those in the state’s only Democratic-leaning area, Judge Gibson’s ruling represents more than a technical victory. It’s a rare moment of pushback against a system designed to silence them.

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