Judge rules Utah's congressional map must be redrawn for the 2026 elections

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Legislature will need to rapidly redraw the state’s congressional boundaries after a judge ruled Monday that the Republican-controlled body drew them in violation of voters’ rights.

The current map, drawn in 2021, divides Salt Lake County — the state’s population center and a Democratic stronghold — among the state’s four congressional districts, all of which have since elected Republicans by wide margins. District Court Judge Dianna Gibson declared the map unlawful because the Legislature circumvented a commission established by voters to ensure districts aren’t drawn to favor any party.

New maps will need to be drawn quickly for the 2026 midterm elections. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, the state’s top elections official, asked the courts for the case to be f