A Utah trial court has selected a new congressional plan for the 2026 cycle, rejecting the Legislature’s October “Map C” and adopting the map offered by plaintiffs; the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government.” In a 90-page ruling issued just before the court’s November 10 deadline, Third District Judge Dianna M. Gibson found Map C to be an “extreme partisan outlier” drawn to favor Republicans and held that it failed to comply with the neutral criteria required by Utah’s voter-approved Proposition 4. Judge Gibson ordered Plaintiffs’ Map 1 (see below) to take effect in 2026. The map keeps most of Salt Lake County together and creates one Democratic-leaning district in an otherwise Republican-tilting map.
The aftermath of the decision was swift. Republican officials signaled they will appeal, and Gov. Spencer Cox said he supports an appeal of the ruling, while the Legislature and its allies criticized the decision as judicial overreach. The ruling has sparked talk among some Republicans of impeaching Judge Gibson, with lawmakers openly exploring that option. At the same time, the new map is reshaping 2026 politics: Democratic state senator Kathleen Riebe announced a U.S. House bid the day after the ruling, and former Rep. Ben McAdams jumped in soon after, reflecting how the decision could open a path to the one Democratic-leaning seat. See more in The Salt Lake Tribune, Politico, Utah News Dispatch, and Utah Public Radio.
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