Feb. 24 (UPI) — Utah Republicans were delivered another blow against redistricting by a three-judge federal court panel which denied their bid to overturn the state’s new court-ordered map.
The panel said it was too late to redraw the map and deferred to the Purcell Principle, which says that federal courts should not intervene in voting-related cases during the run-up to an election.
“A federal court preliminary injunction is not appropriate because Utah’s official primary process is upon us,” the judges wrote. The filing period for candidates opens in Utah in two weeks.
The decision means that Democrats may pick up one seat from the four that are now filled with Republicans. The Utah GOP has been trying to redistrict the state to prevent Democrats from winning any seats in the House of Representatives. In August, District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the state couldn’t use maps that reshaped Salt Lake City, a Democratic stronghold in an otherwise red state.
But Gibson refused a potential GOP map because voters had chosen Proposition 4 in 2018. Proposition 4 created an independent redistricting commission in the state to prevent gerrymandering.
Last week, Republicans requested intervention from the state supreme court, which declined, Politico reported.
On Feb. 16, Utah Republicans announced they had enough signatures to force a ballot measure in the fall that would overturn Proposition 4. If it is successful, it won’t affect the congressional midterm elections this November.
The judges on the panel — U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby, 10th Circuit Judge Timothy Tymkovich and U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter — gave their decision on the final day that attorneys for Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said they needed a decision for the 2026 elections.
Utah Reps. Celeste Maloy, Burgess Owens and other plaintiffs in the case posted a joint statement on X after the decision expressing “profound disappointment but respect for the Court’s careful review.”
“This case concerns the Constitution’s allocation of authority over federal elections, a question of lasting importance beyond any single election cycle,” the statement said. “Having these issues heard has strengthened public understanding and clarified what is at stake. 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.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, told reporters he wasn’t surprised by the ruling.
“I think that most people thought that was a bit of a longshot, certainly one that was worth trying. But there was nothing in that order that surprised anyone,” he said. “I think all the attorneys were prepared for that.”
Better Boundaries, the organization that worked to create Proposition 4, cheered the win.
“Today’s federal ruling is once again a win for the majority of Utah voters who approved Prop 4 in 2018,” said Elizabeth Rasmussen, executive director of Better Boundaries, in a statement. “While discussions about representation and redistricting will likely continue, this decision provides greater certainty that power is derived from the people. Utahns can now prepare for future elections and the opportunity to have their voices heard. Voters should choose their politicians, not the other way around.”
The Utah League of Women Voters said the map is a fair one.
“Utah voters should not have to navigate uncertainty to participate in their elections,” Katharine Biele, president of the League of Women Voters of Utah, said in a statement. “We are pleased the court protected this fair map and we remain focused on protecting voters’ ability to make their voices heard. We only wish that the futile attempts to undermine this fair map would cease so we could focus on what is important to Utahns.”
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