Utah judge tosses congressional maps, creating Democratic opportunity

Democrats lauded a Tuesday evening order by a judge in Utah directing the state legislature to quickly draw new congressional maps.

“The Legislature is directed to design and enact a remedial congressional redistricting map in conformity with Proposition 4’s mandatory redistricting standards and requirements,” Judge Dianna M. Gibson wrote in granting summary judgement to a group of plaintiffs who were seeking to invalidate the current congressional maps as designed by the state legislature.

Under Proposition 4, Utah voters in 2018 enacted an independent redistricting process, seeking to end partisan gerrymandering. State lawmakers then effectively invalidated that process by passing a state law in 2020 amending the redistricting act. Gibson gave the legislature until Sept. 24 to draw new