Judge Dianna M. Gibson during a hearing in September 2024. Chris Samuels/AP Salt Lake City AP —

A Utah judge on Monday rejected the new congressional map drawn by Republican lawmakers, adopting an alternate proposal that creates a Democrat-leaning district ahead of the the 2026 midterm elections.

Republicans currently hold all four of Utah’s House seats and had advanced a map poised to protect them.

Judge Dianna Gibson ruled just before a midnight deadline that the Legislature’s new map “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.”

She had ordered lawmakers to draw a map that complies with standards established by voters to ensure districts don’t deliberately favor a party, a practice known as gerrymandering.

If they failed, Gibson warned she may consider other maps su

See Full Page