SALT LAKE CITY — The judge overseeing the legal battle over congressional redistricting rejected a map put forward by the state legislature, choosing a map generated by a pair of voter-rights groups that could create a new district in Utah leaning toward Democrats.
Watch: Lead plaintiffs react to redistricting ruling
The practical effects of 3rd District Court Judge Dianna Gibson's ruling are dramatic on Utah's Capitol Hill. All congressional districts are now up for grabs (though the real debate is which districts now give Democrats a more competitive chance).
Out of three maps submitted (two by the plaintiffs, the League of Women Voters and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and one by the legislature) Judge Gibson chose Plaintiff's Map 1 as the preferred choice, and not the map selected by the Utah State Legislature. She also blocked a law passed in the most recent special session rewriting rules of redistricting.
The ruling came down to the last possible moments for redistricting. After being asked how far she could push a deadline, Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson, the state's top elections officer, conveyed to the judge that Nov. 10 was the latest she could accept a new map for county clerks to be ready for the 2026 election cycle.
The League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government sued the Utah State Legislature, accusing it of overriding the will of the voters who passed Proposition 4 that created an independent redistricting commission. They also argued that the map the legislature adopted for congressional boundaries was illegal gerrymandering to favor Republicans.
Judge Gibson sided with the plaintiffs, ruling that Prop. 4 is law and throwing out the map created by the legislature and the ones crafted by the independent commission that were crafted under a "compromise" law. She ordered the legislature to draw new maps. They did, under protest while pursuing appeals that continue. The legislature maintains it has the sole constitutional authority to draw maps.
In her ruling issued just before midnight on Monday, Judge Gibson called the legislature's proposed map an "extreme partisan outlier" designed to favor Republicans.
"Map C fails in many ways to comply with Proposition 4. First, Map C was drawn with partisan political data on display. Map C does not abide by Proposition 4’s traditional redistricting criteria “to the greatest extent practicable.” And, based on the evidence presented, the Court finds that Map C was drawn with the purpose to favor Republicans—a conclusion that follows from even S.B. 1011’s metric for partisan intent—and it unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats," Judge Gibson wrote.
The judge defended her choice of a map, writing: "Plaintiffs’ Map 1 has neither the purpose nor effect of unduly favoring or disfavoring a political party. It was configured by a reliable computer algorithm programmed to closely adhere to Proposition 4’s neutral redistricting criteria without any partisan data. It falls comfortably in the distribution of expected partisan outcomes under that ensemble of Proposition 4 compliant maps."
"It is a good day," said Emma Petty-Addams with Mormon Women for Ethical Government, who urged people to celebrate but avoid portraying the ruling through any partisan lens. In fact, she said he group would push back at any efforts to suggest their litigation was designed to favor one party or another but instead demand "fair maps."
Malcolm and Victoria Reid, who live in Millcreek and added their names to the lawsuit, called it a win for "all of Utah." Where their community was split into four different congressional districts, their entire community is whole under the new map.
"Our entire city is in one congressional district, we'll have one representative. We can go with one voice and speak about issues that are important to us as a community," Victoria Reid told FOX 13 News.
Lt. Gov. Henderson said in a post on Threads early Tuesday that she would comply with the ruling, absent an emergency appeal that halts it.
On Utah's Capitol Hill, the Republican supermajority blasted the ruling and accused the judge of selecting a "clearly gerrymandered map."
"This isn’t how government should work. Our system depends on transparency, accountability, and respect for the roles defined in our Constitution. Judges are meant to uphold the law as written, not rewrite it to serve political ends. Nothing in Utah’s Constitution gives the courts authority to impose maps designed by private groups," said House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, and Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, in a statement.
"Redistricting is not a courtroom exercise; it is a constitutional duty entrusted to the Legislature, the body directly elected and accountable to Utahns. When that process is overridden, it weakens the voice of every Utahn."
In an interview with FOX 13 News on Tuesday, Speaker Schultz said the legislature would still appeal the larger issue of redistricting and who has the power to draw maps (the legislature maintains it has the sole constitutional power to do that).
"Let me be clear: We are going to fight and push back," he said.
However, the Speaker said it may be too late to appeal the map Judge Gibson chose, given how late she issued her ruling on the deadline Lt. Governor set to take maps for the 2026 election cycle.
"The judge waited until the very last minute to take that right away from the people, for us to go petition the Supreme Court in a time frame that we can make a valid argument to get this lawsuit overturned," Speaker Schultz told FOX 13 News.
Other lawmakers are looking to take action against the judge. In a post on X, Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, said he would seek to remove Gibson from the bench, claiming a "gross abuse of power."
Speaker Schultz would not immediately commit to launching impeachment proceedings.
"We’ll see what will happen there. I mean, we’re not focused on impeachment right now," he told FOX 13 News. "We’re focused on what we do next for the citizens of the state for them, their elected officials to have a say in drawing congressional maps."
Katharine Biele, the president of the League of Women Voters of Utah, said they wouldn't stop.
"It is unfortunate they're trying to impeach the judge who is simply doing her job, a job that the Utah Supreme Court told her to do. We will fight that too as best we can," she said, calling on Utahns to stand up to the legislature.
Democrats in the legislature were thrilled with the ruling.
"We, the Utah House and Senate Democrats, feel a deep sense of hope and relief following Judge Gibson’s decision to adopt the plaintiffs’ Map 1. This is a win for every Utahn. We took an oath to serve the people of Utah, and fair representation is the truest measure of that promise," the House and Senate Minority Caucuses wrote in a joint statement.
Read the judge's ruling here:
