SALT LAKE CITY – Called into special session by Gov. Spencer Cox on Oct. 6, Republicans in the Legislature pulled a fast one by passing Senate Bill 1011 (Redistricting Standards).
GOP lawmakers insist that legislation complies with Proposition 4 standards and legislative preferences while also satisfying judicial orders from the 3rd District Court. The measure was signed by Cox that same day.
With that hurdle past, the Republicans then proceeded to endorse a congressional redistricting proposal know as Map C, which splits three cities (North Salt Lake, Millcreek and Pleasant Grove) and three counties (Davis, Salt Lake and Utah).
As expected, that map is considered to be the one that was most likely to result in no changes to the all-GOP Utah delegation in U.S. House.
Map C was passed along mostly party lines with a 56-17 vote in the Utah House and a 18-9 vote in the Utah Senate.
Democrats here in Utah and Washington cried foul and their surrogates – the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government – filed a lawsuit as soon as the bill was passed.
Prior to the Senate vote, its Democratic minority leader Sen. Luz Escamilla condemned the Map C option for falling short of the state’s redistricting requirements and the standards of Proposition 4, a citizen referendum passed by Utah voters in 2018.
In Washington, Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin agreed.
“The Utah Legislature passed a new congressional map that once again ignores the will of Utahns and could give Republicans an unfair advantage … ahead of the 2026 midterms,” Martin argued. “The Utah map must now be approved by a state judge, who will also review a map proposed by plaintiffs who successfully argued that Utah’s previous map was unconstitutional.”
According to S.B 1011, future redistricting processes should be governed by three tests – partisan bias, ensemble analysis and a median-mean difference test.
In the new lawsuit filed by the left-leaning women’s groups, they describe those standards as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” by which the Republicans have sought to move the goal posts of legitimate redistricting and to frustrate the spirit of Proposition 4.
The standards of Proposition 4 approved by 2018 voters are that congressional district maps should account for population deviation; minimize the division of municipalities and counties; ensure compactness, contiguity and ease of transportation; preserve neighborhoods and communities of interest; follow natural geography and boundaries; and maximize alignment across different types of districts.
Republican lawmakers argue that their Map C option meets all of those criteria, while balancing rural and urban representation; protecting military installations; considering major higher education institutions; and balancing federal lands in each congressional district.
The Map C option still needs to be approved by District Judge Dianna Gibson not later than Nov. 10 in order to have an impact on balloting in the 2026 midterm election.
It’s uncertain if that judicial review can be completed by that deadline or whether the Legislature’s action during the Oct. 6 special session will trigger a whole new round of litigation and appeals.