Utah’s congressional districts are the subject of a court challenge and an example of partisan gerrymandering.[3] In this instance, Republican lawmakers drew the boundaries to dilute the Democratic vote by splitting Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County across all four congressional districts. The Utah Supreme Court ruled in July, 2024, that the legislature did not have the constitutional right to override 2018 Utah Proposition 4, which required districts be drawn by an independent redistricting commission. The lawsuit challenging the map was sent to a lower court for further consideration.[4]
The delegation has a total of four members, all Republicans.
Historical and present district boundaries
Table of United States congressional district boundary maps in the State of Utah, presented chronologically.[7] All redistricting events that took place in Utah between 1973 and 2013 are shown.
Redistricting ballot measures
2018 Utah Proposition 4, a measure that would require the redistricting process to be done by a bipartisan commission. This motion was passed by a margin of 0.68%[8] however the Commission’s power ‘was stripped a year and a half later by the Legislature.’[9][10]
2008 Utah Legislative Redistricting Requirement, Amendment D, a technical proposal that allowed the legislature to consider redistricting once census data was made public. Passed by a margin of 56.50%.[11]
^"Governor OKs new Utah congressional maps". Salt Lake Tribune. October 20, 2011. p. 1.
^"Google Maps". Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
^ "Utah high court scrutinizes process that sliced state's most Democrat-heavy county into 4 districts". AP News. July 11, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
^Michael Wines (July 11, 2024). "Utah's Gerrymandered House Map Ignored Voters' Will, State Supreme Court Says". The New York Times.
^"Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
^"2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". The Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
^"Digital Boundary Definitions of United States Congressional Districts, 1789–2012". Retrieved October 18, 2014.
^"Utah Proposition 4, Independent Advisory Commission on Redistricting Initiative (2018)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
^"Utah high court scrutinizes process that sliced state's most Democrat-heavy county into 4 districts". AP News. July 11, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
^"Utah's legislature rejects every map proposed by independent redistricting committee". FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU). November 9, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
^"Utah Legislative Redistricting Requirement, Amendment D (2008)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 14, 2021.