Judge Dianna Gibson just tossed out Utah’s current congressional map, giving the Republican-led state legislature until September 24 to submit a new one. This ruling is a big deal and could have a huge impact, especially in the larger fight over gerrymandering that’s happening across the country right now.
Utah’s current map, which was adopted in 2021, splits up Salt Lake City. Salt Lake is a major Democratic area and is split among all four of the state’s congressional districts. That essentially dilutes the city resident voters’ power and has led to Republicans winning all four seats by a wide margin. According to The Guardian, a new, redrawn map could consolidate more of the city into a single district, which would make a lot more sense in representing the residents.
