Democrats have scored an unlikely redistricting win in closely Republican Utah as a choose dominated the deep-blue Salt Lake Metropolis metro space will get its personal congressional seat for the 2026 midterm elections.
Choose Dianna Gibson dominated that conservative Utah, which President Trump gained by about 22%, should use a congressional map that creates one seemingly Democratic seat alongside three closely Republican ones, a pickup from the present 4-0 GOP delegation.
The choose dominated simply earlier than a midnight deadline in opposition to a map put ahead by the GOP-controlled Utah legislature that aimed to protect the 4-0 GOP edge by chopping up Salt Lake County, saying it “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.”
Gibson as an alternative dominated in favor of voting rights teams, together with the League of Girls Voters of Utah and Mormon Girls for Moral Authorities, whose map retains Salt Lake County virtually solely inside one district, which is able to seemingly ship a brand new Democratic consultant to Washington, D.C.
“This is a win for every Utahn,” Utah state Democratic lawmakers stated Tuesday in a joint assertion. “We took an oath to serve the people of Utah, and fair representation is the truest measure of that promise.”
The Utah pickup quantities to a Democratic win within the still-ongoing nationwide mid-decade redistricting battle that Trump unleashed by urgent Texas and different pink states to redraw their congressional districts to assist Republicans maintain onto their slim management of the Home of Representatives.
The Lone Star State has moved to flip 5 as much as blue seats, whereas different GOP states like Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina have rejiggered their maps in methods that may seemingly scoop up 4 extra.
Democrats are preventing again. California voters overwhelmingly authorised a proposal that may enable Democrats to redraw district strains within the deep-blue Golden State, choosing up an estimated 5 seats.
Virginia, recent off a landslide Democratic win within the off-year elections, might redraw its personal district strains to flip as much as three GOP-held seats.
New York Democrats might search to broaden their 19-7 edge within the congressional delegation however their fingers are tied till the 2028 race.
The political stakes are excessive. Republicans maintain a slim six-seat majority so Democrats will seemingly want to choose up only a handful of seats to retake the Home and set up Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as the primary Black Speaker of the Home.
Opinion polls and political historical past counsel Democrats can have the political wind at their backs with Trump’s approval scores far underwater.
