Utah ordered to redraw congressional map, opening up possible Democratic seat

Redistricting advances successful Texas, California

Redistricting fights vigor up successful Texas, California, arsenic Trump signals Missouri is next 04:22

The Utah Legislature volition person to redraw the state's legislature representation aft a justice ruled Monday that the lines enacted successful 2021 did not conform with "mandatory redistricting standards and requirements" — opening up the doorway for a winnable spot for Democrats successful the reddish state. 

According to the ruling released precocious Monday, "the halfway contented earlier the Court is whether the Utah State Legislature's enactment of S.B. 200 unconstitutionally impaired Proposition 4, a national inaugural designed to betterment the redistricting process successful Utah and prohibit partisan gerrymandering." 

The judge's bid says that "the Legislature is directed to plan and enact a remedial legislature redistricting representation successful conformity with Proposition 4's mandatory redistricting standards and requirements." The bid says authorities lawmakers person 30 days "to plan and enact a remedial legislature map."

Although unrelated, the ruling comes amid redistricting battles passim the country, kicked disconnected erstwhile President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson asked Texas' GOP-led Legislature to redraw the House representation to nett 5 much seats for Republicans' razor-thin majority. California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom retaliated, pushing done the Legislature a caller representation that could nett Democrats up to 5 seats. 

But the battles are not constricted to the ample states with much seats to beryllium gained. Indiana lawmakers are gathering Tuesday with Mr. Trump and different medication officials to enactment connected redrawing the representation to redraw the state's 2 Democratic districts. 

Utah has 4 legislature seats, each of which are represented by Republicans. Mr. Trump comfortably won the authorities with 59.4% of the vote. Both senators are Republicans. 

In the 2018 midterms, voters successful 1 Utah territory narrowly sent a Democrat to the U.S. House. It remains to beryllium seen what ineligible hurdles and appeals whitethorn travel Monday's order.

Republicans person a 219 to 212 bulk successful the U.S. House, which Mr. Trump is looking to expand or, astatine the precise least, clasp onto successful the 2026 midterm elections. 

Where are the different redistricting battles?

States typically instrumentality connected redistricting aft the census. But this summer's mid-decade redistricting conflict kicked disconnected successful in July, Mr. Trump began the propulsion to redraw the Texas maps, a authorities helium won comfortably and wherever Republicans power 25 of the state's 38 legislature seats. Mr. Trump insisted the authorities could redraw their legislature maps to springiness Republicans an vantage successful 5 much districts.

Texas' legislature maps are determined by the Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, and signed disconnected by the governor. GOP Gov. Greg Abbott called a peculiar league of the Legislature successful July with redistricting arsenic 1 of the items connected the agenda, starring Democratic lawmakers to permission the state to forestall a quorum to bring the ballot to the floor. 

The Democrats' quorum interruption drew nationalist attention, and Republican lawmakers enacted progressively drastic measures to bring them backmost — including calling for civilian arrest, hefty fines and adjacent asking the FBI to way them down. After moving retired the timepiece connected the 30-day peculiar session, Abbott promptly called different peculiar session and Democrats returned. The maps passed on enactment lines. 

In California, Newsom said helium would redraw the state's map if Texas went done with its plan, though California's legislature maps indispensable beryllium decided by voters. As the Texas program moved done the Legislature successful the 2nd peculiar session, California's Democratic bulk moved guardant with a ballot measurement with their ain program to redraw the legislature representation to nett up to 5 seats for Democrats. The measurement passed the Legislature past week. It was rapidly signed by Newsom and volition beryllium connected California's ballot connected Nov. 4.

Other states person indicated they volition redraw their maps, though galore states necessitate much hurdles to bash so. In New York, Democratic lawmakers volition person to rewrite the state's Constitution, which would person to beryllium approved successful 2 sessions of the Legislature and past by voters. New York's Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has indicated she is consenting to commencement the effort, though the soonest predetermination it would impact is 2028.

Indiana, which has 9 legislature districts, appears to beryllium the adjacent battleground for Republicans. Mr. Trump and members of his medication are gathering Tuesday with the person of the authorities senate, the authorities House talker and others successful a propulsion to find a mode to redraw the districts to oust the state's 2 Democratic representatives.

Missouri Republicans person besides indicated they are funny successful redrawing their map. Missouri has 8 legislature districts, represented by six Republicans and 2 Democrats. Any effort to gully a caller territory to springiness Republicans 1 much spot successful their favour would apt absorption connected changing the Kansas City-focused territory represented by longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Although Mr. Trump has posted connected societal media that the "Great State of Missouri is present IN" to redraw their maps, Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe has yet to telephone a peculiar league of the Legislature to redraw the maps, though determination is simply a veto league already scheduled to statesman successful mid-September. 

Florida Republicans person besides joined the propulsion to redraw their legislature maps. Republican authorities House Speaker Daniel Perez sent a memo to lawmakers earlier this period announcing helium was creating a prime committee connected redistricting. Florida's maps are approved by the Legislature and signed disconnected by the governor.