Utah Judge Mandates New Congressional Maps by Sept. 24, Citing Unconstitutional Process
Utah Judge Mandates New Congressional Maps by Sept. 24, Citing Unconstitutional Process
A Utah judge on Monday, August 25, 2025, ordered the state Legislature to redraw its congressional maps by September 24, declaring the current boundaries unconstitutional. Third District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the Legislature failed to comply with the 2018 voter-backed Better Boundaries initiative, which aimed to prevent partisan gerrymandering.
Judge Gibson’s 79-page decision prohibits the use of the existing congressional maps in any future election. She found that the Legislature “intentionally stripped away all of [the initiative’s] core redistricting standards and procedures that were binding on it,” and that allowing the 2021 Congressional Plan to remain would “reward the very constitutional violation.”
The ruling has set a tight deadline for state lawmakers, who now have 30 days to adopt new boundaries aligned with Proposition 4. The plaintiffs in the case will also be allowed to submit recommendations. A status conference is scheduled for Friday to plan the next steps, with a hearing on proposed maps anticipated in mid-October.
Legislative leaders, Senate President J. Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz, expressed disappointment, stating they would “carefully review the ruling and consider our next steps,” while reiterating their commitment to upholding legislative authority. Utah Republican Party Chairman Rob Axson called the decision “judicial activism.”
Conversely, advocates and Democrats hailed the ruling as a significant victory for voters. Elizabeth Rasmussen, executive director of Better Boundaries, expressed confidence that new maps would be in place for the 2026 election. Ryan Bell, a Better Boundaries board member, emphasized the ruling’s broader implications for “more free and fair elections” and a “less polarized Congress.” Utah House Democrats and Party Chair Brian King echoed these sentiments, calling it a “victory for the people of Utah.”
The judge’s decision specifically targets the state’s four congressional districts, leaving state legislative and school board districts unchallenged. The legal battle follows the Legislature’s weakening of the 2018 initiative and subsequent adoption of maps that created four safe GOP seats, ignoring the independent redistricting commission’s recommendations. Previous attempts by the Legislature to amend the constitution to override ballot initiatives were also voided by the Utah Supreme Court. Further appeals to the Utah Supreme Court, and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court, are expected from the Legislature.
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