A federal court ruling Monday has essentially locked in a new Utah congressional redistricting map that would create a Democrat-heavy Salt Lake City-based seat, potentially flipping one of Utah’s Republican-held U.S. House seats.
A special three-judge federal panel is allowing a revised congressional redistricting map in Utah to go into effect, rejecting an effort by state Republicans to block it. The judicial panel denied a Republican-led request for a preliminary injunction to put the new map on hold.
The new voting boundaries give Democrats a better shot at winning Utah’s 1st Congressional District, a seat currently held by Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah.
Two of Utah’s other four GOP seat-holders in Congress – Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah; and Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah – had signed on to the challenge but have accepted the decision in a joint statement.
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“We receive today’s decision with profound disappointment but respect for the Court’s careful review,” the statement, shared on X by Owens, read. “This case concerns the Constitution’s allocation of authority over federal elections, a question of lasting importance beyond any single election cycle.”
“Having these issues heard has strengthened public understanding and clarified what is at stake,” the statement continued. “We remain convinced that the Constitution assigns this responsibility to the State’s lawmaking authority and that this principle is essential to preserving constitutional order and the rule of law.”
A state judge had ordered the new map, striking congressional voting lines adopted by the state legislature after the 2020 census. A state voter referendum had approved anti-gerrymandering standards. The Utah Supreme Court, in recent days, had also rejected the original map crafted by the GOP-controlled legislature.
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The federal panel’s decision rested on the “Purcell principle” — the idea that judicial interference so close to an election causes “chaos and confusion.”
Though the GOP can still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency relief, the judges warned that any further “tinkering” would come too late to prevent electoral disruption for the 2026 midterms.
Utah Republican Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson took no position on the case, but did tell the court she needed to have a decision by Monday in order to implement the proper redistricting map, according to the ruling.
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Early race ratings from The Cook Political Report have already shifted this district from “Solid Republican” to “Solid Democratic.”
Moore’s northern Utah seat is being renumbered to the 2nd Congressional District, a seat which is currently held by Maloy. Owens currently holds the 4th Congressional District, while Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, holds the GOP’s 3rd Congressional District seat.
President Donald Trump has acknowledged the difficult history for sitting presidents’ parties in midterm elections, and the current House GOP majority is held by a slim margin of 218-214 with three current vacancies: Former Rep. Mike Sherrill, D-N.J., who resigned to become New Jersey’s governor; former Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., who resigned at the start of the congressional year; and late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., who died Jan. 6.
Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.
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