Utah legislative leaders agree to redraw congressional maps despite ‘arbitrary’ timeline

SALT LAKE CITY — Days after a judge ordered a redrawing of Utah’s congressional maps, legislative leaders said Thursday they will obey — despite the “arbitrary” deadline given to them.

A statement released by Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, detailed their thoughts. The leaders said it took months to create the state’s congressional maps, which 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson has now prevented them from using in future elections. After a lawsuit, Gibson ruled the maps didn’t follow the law established by voters in 2018 when they approved an independent commission to draw them.

The judge gave lawmakers 30 days to come up with new maps.

“Despite a misguided court ruling and an arbitrary 30-day deadline, the Utah Legislature will defend its constitutional authority and move forward with redrawing the state’s congressional map,” Adams and Schultz said. “The court’s order unconstitutionally ties the Legislature’s hands by mandating certain redistricting criteria when the U.S. and Utah constitutions leave it to the people’s representatives in the legislature to redistrict.”

BREAKING: Utah legislative leaders say they will move ahead to redraw the congressional districts after a judge gave them 30 days to do so, although they said they will still seek to have the ruling put on hold. Statement from @JStuartAdams and @mschultz_12 #utpol @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/0FUHdu3adL

— Daniel Woodruff (@danielmwoodruff) August 28, 2025

Gibson’s decision launched the state into a nationwide debate about gerrymandering ahead of the 2026 midterms, and it prompted President Donald Trump to take to his Truth Social, where he called the decision “unconstitutional.”

Conversely, critics of the current congressional maps, like Better Boundaries executive director Elizabeth Rasmussen, believe the judge’s decision was a sign of “government working.” Utah has an all-Republican delegation in Congress, but the state’s congressional maps divide Democrat-leaning Salt Lake County into all four districts.

The full statement from legislative leaders reads:

Despite a misguided court ruling and an arbitrary 30-day deadline, the Utah Legislature will defend its constitutional authority and move forward with redrawing the state’s congressional map. The court’s order unconstitutionally ties the Legislature’s hands by mandating certain redistricting criteria when the U.S. and Utah constitutions leave it to the people’s representatives in the legislature to redistrict.

We can and will continue to pursue the same goal we have had from the outset—for each member of Congress to represent both urban and rural voices. This model provides a true statewide perspective, ensuring that all Utahns—whether they live in rural towns, suburban neighborhoods or our capital city—have four strong voices in Washington, D.C.

When we last drew congressional boundaries, the Legislature spent nearly six months traveling the state and holding more than 20 public meetings to gather input. Now, the court has allowed only 30 days to complete the same complex process, leaving little opportunity for meaningful, statewide public involvement. Even more concerning, after hearing summary judgments in January, the judge waited months to issue a ruling—only to then impose this rushed deadline on the public and the Legislature. Such a timeline is not only unreasonable, it is fundamentally unfair to Utahns.

While we will continue to pursue every legal option available—including requesting a stay from the Utah Supreme Court if necessary—we will attempt to redistrict under these unprecedented constraints, consistent with our oath to represent the best interests of Utah.

Rasmussen, with Better Boundaries, released a statement responding to the Utah Legislature’s decision:

We are encouraged the Legislature will move forward with new maps. Utahns voted for independent redistricting in 2018, and the court has now confirmed that decision must be respected.

Better Boundaries has always been about fairness, and Proposition 4 set fair standards voters expect: follow the law, create compact and contiguous districts, respect neighborhoods and communities, and use natural boundaries like mountains and roads. Above all, it prohibited politicians from drawing maps to protect themselves or their party.

It is now up to the Legislature to draw maps that reflect these standards. Utahns deserve districts that keep communities together and give every voter a voice—not districts that protect politicians.”

Prop 4 was an attempt to restore accountability to all of our elected officials. It was not focused on a particular political outcome but an attempt to fix a broken process. Ronald Regan called gerrymandering ‘a national disgrace’ and we look forward to seeing fair maps for all Utahns.

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Contributing: Daniel Woodruff, KSL TV