A Utah judge’s decision to pick a map that creates a Democrat-leaning district without approval by the state legislature has led many Republicans to cry “judicial activism” and even call for her impeachment.
Republicans control the state’s four congressional districts and pushed for a map that would protect all four of them.
Judge Dianna Gibson ruled before a midnight deadline that the state legislature’s map “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.” Gibson ordered lawmakers to draw a map that does not disproportionately favor one part over the other, a practice known as gerrymandering.
The judge selected a map drawn by the League of Women Voters and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, which would have Salt Lake County within one congressional district, instead of dividing the Democrat center among all four districts.
“This is a win for every Utahn,” state Democrats said in a joint statement. “We took an oath to serve the people of Utah, and fair representation is the truest measure of that promise.”
Republicans fired back against the judge, arguing that she does not have the authority to enact a map that was not approved by the state legislature.
State Rep. Matt MacPherson said the judge’s ruling amounts to a “gross abuse of power” and has moved to impeach her.
Republicans have held meetings to advance a ballot initiative to repeal Proposition 4, the law that created the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission.
State Rep. Candice Pierucci, the cochair of the state legislature’s redistricting committee, slammed Gibson’s ruling as a “clear example judicial activism.”
She said that Gibson “decided that her personal opinion outweighs Utah’s Constitution and the will of the people,” and that “despite the state legislature’s efforts to work with her orders,” Gibson orchestrated “it from the start,” the Tribune said.
Utah Republicans have had other issues with Gibson’s alleged judicial activism, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:
Republican legislative leaders have previously said Gibson overstepped her judicial authority when she forced lawmakers to redraw the congressional boundaries and that they would appeal to the Utah Supreme Court and possibly the U.S. Supreme Court.
And the Utah Republican Party has filed to gather signatures for an initiative seeking to repeal Proposition 4 entirely. If they gather around 141,000 valid signatures and meet the initiative requirements, the repeal vote will go on the 2026 ballot, but it would not impact the map used for that election.
Despite the frustration, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said that she would “comply with Judge Gibson’s order” and begin implementing the map selected by the judge “unless otherwise ordered by an appeals court.”
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