SALT LAKE CITY – In a significant decision, Utah’s Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from Republican lawmakers on Friday, upholding a new congressional map that enhances the likelihood of Democrats securing one of the state’s four U.S. House seats currently held by Republicans. This development sets the stage for a potentially competitive election in the fall.
Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, in a written order, clarified that the court lacks the “jurisdiction over Legislative Defendants’ appeal.” This ruling effectively leaves in place the map that was adopted in November by a Utah judge, favoring a Democratic-leaning district over the previous version that aimed to ensure Republican dominance across all four seats.
The newly adopted map maintains Salt Lake County predominantly within a single district. This is a departure from the previous strategy, which split the heavily Democratic area among all four congressional districts, thereby diluting its voting power.
Republicans have criticized the court’s intervention, asserting that it does not possess the legal authority to implement a map that bypasses legislative approval.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the court’s decision, Utah’s Republican Senate President Stuart Adams remarked that the “chaos continues,” highlighting the tensions surrounding the redistricting process.
Utah’s Republican Senate President Stuart Adams pushed back on the ruling, saying the “chaos continues.”
“We will keep defending a process that respects the Constitution and ensures Utah voters across our state have their voices respected,” he said in a statement.
Katharine Biele, president of the League of Women Voters of Utah, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, applauded the ruling.
“We are encouraged that the court dismissed this improper appeal and allowed the process to move forward without disruption to voters or election administrators,” she said in a statement.
The redistricting stems from an August decision in which Judge Dianna Gibson struck down the Utah congressional map adopted after the 2020 census because the Legislature had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters.
The ruling pushed the state into a national redistricting battle as President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to take up mid-decade redistricting to try to help the GOP retain control of the House in 2026.
The approved map gives Democrats a much stronger chance to flip a seat in a state that last had a Democrat in Congress in early 2021.
Emma Petty Addams, co-executive director of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, another plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in a statement Friday that “the courts have provided an important check on the Legislature, affirming the people’s constitutional right to alter and reform their government.”
The ruling comes weeks before the deadline to file for reelection.
There is another appeal pending in federal court that was spearheaded by two of the state’s Republican members of Congress. The lawsuit filed in February argues the state judge violated the U.S. Constitution by rejecting the congressional districts drawn by the Republican-led state Legislature.
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