A federal court rejected an effort by Utah Republicans to block a new court-ordered congressional map, which is projected to help Democrats pick up a House seat in the Beehive State.
Utah’s congressional delegation currently consists of four Republicans and zero Democrats.
The map puts most of Salt Lake City into one district, increasing the odds of a Democrat victory in the midterm elections.
#BREAKING NEWS: In a ruling that could be a final blow to the Utah legislature's effort to block a judge-imposed redistricted Congressional map for 2026, a federal panel of judges has DENIED the request to enjoin Utah's new map ahead of the midterms. @abc4utah #utpol pic.twitter.com/jycu2vhJSx
— Lindsay Aerts (@LindsayOnAir) February 23, 2026
Utah News Dispatch explained further:
The judges’ ruling affirmed that Utah’s 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson had the power to set new congressional boundaries after she determined the Utah Legislature failed to adopt a lawful map.
Gibson’s court-ordered map — which she picked to replace the Legislature’s 2021 boundaries after she determined they were “unlawful” because they were drawn using an unconstitutional process — creates one Democratic district and three Republican districts.
The decision from U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby, 10th Circuit Judge Timothy Tymkovich and U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter came the morning of the final day that attorneys for Utah’s top election official, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, said they needed a decision on which map would govern the 2026 elections.
Late last year, Gibson had picked a remedial map drawn by plaintiffs in a redistricting lawsuit that’s spent years winding its way through Utah’s courts after she determined the one proposed by the Utah Legislature didn’t adhere to neutral map-drawing standards required by Proposition 4, a voter-approved ballot initiative that created an independent redistricting process.
Although the ruling could be appealed, it may be too late for additional legal moves to get a new congressional map in place for the 2026 elections.
Republican Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, the state’s top election official, said a final map for the 2026 midterms had to be in place by Monday.
March 13th is the deadline for Utah congressional candidates to file their candidacy, NBC News noted.
Federal court rejects GOP bid to block new Utah congressional map, likely netting Dems a seat https://t.co/DpvoKxyKXg
— POLITICO (@politico) February 23, 2026
NBC News has more:
The Utah Supreme Court rejected a separate challenge from Republicans to the map on Friday, concluding they did not have jurisdiction.
The legal battle in Utah comes amid a broader redistricting arms race taking place across the country, initially sparked by President Donald Trump urging GOP-led states to redraw their maps. Utah is one of six states that enacted new congressional boundaries last year, while there are efforts underway in Virginia and Florida to get new maps on the books for this year’s elections.
