NEW: Utah legislature to appeal Congressional map favoring new Dem seat to state Supreme Court

The Utah state legislature is set to appeal the state's new congressional map that carves out a congressional seat that will all but certainly give a seat to the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections. The map was brought about after Judge Dianna Gibson ruled in favor of the map that was in place.  

The announcement was made on Tuesday. “By design or by default, Judge [Dianna] Gibson has authorized the most partisan and thus the most gerrymandered map in the history of the state of Utah,” Senate President Stuart Adams announced at a press conference.  

“Utahns deserve a process that is stable, transparent, and accountable,” Adams added, per Politico. “One in which decisions are made with the respect of constitutional roles of each branch of government.” 

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz said that the legislature is waiting on Gibson to “wrap up her final decision," and they will then move forward with the appeal process.  

In 2018, Utah voters passed Proposition 4, which directed an independent commission separate from the legislature to approve of congressional maps. However, the Utah Constitution gives that power to the legislature, and the commission was curbed back to being in an advisory position. The map currently represented by the four GOP representatives in Congress was drawn up by the legislature previously, but that faced a legal challenge from the left-leaning groups the League of Women Voters of Utah and the Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG).

The MWEG is not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and has claimed to be not politically affiliated. However, the group's members frequently post left-wing views on social media and have targeted Trump as well as Utah Senator Mike Lee. 

In ruling on the challenge to the map, where the groups bringing the suit as well the legislature both brought maps to the table to be considered, Gibson wrote that the legislature's map "does not abide by Proposition 4’s traditional redistricting criteria 'to the greatest extent practicable.' And, based on the evidence presented, the Court finds that Map C was drawn with the purpose to favor Republicans."

Since the new map was installed, Democrat and former Rep. Ben McAdams has launched a bid to elected in the new left-leaning district that encircles much of Salt Lake County. He has swung hard to the left in an effort to appeal to those in the newly formed district, even going so far as to say he will vote to codify Roe v Wade after previously saying that he believes "in the sanctity of life at all stages." 

He is also facing multiple challengers to his left, such as Utah state Senator Nate Blouin.