By Matt Underwood Utah Judge Strikes Down GOP Gerrymander, Restores Voter-Approved Fair Map. Now, isn’t that a breath of fresh air? It’s genuinely refreshing to see a headline that doesn’t automatically lean one way or the other, especially when it comes to politics. It’s a win for democracy, a win for the people, not just a win for a particular party. It’s about respecting the choices made by voters, and that’s something we should all be able to get behind. The fact that the Utah legislature has been fighting this tooth and nail, despite the fact that it was actually a ballot measure *voted on by the people*, really speaks volumes.
The implications of this are pretty interesting. Apparently, this could potentially give the Democrats another seat in the House of Representatives, and in Utah, of all places! It’s somewhat surprising this isn’t making bigger national news. One can’t help but wonder if the GOP will try to circumvent the ruling, much like what’s happened in other states. Will they ignore the judge and try to implement their gerrymandered maps anyway? The parallels to what’s happening in Ohio are definitely worth noting. It’s disheartening how often the will of the voters is disregarded.
It’s disheartening how frequently the will of the people is overridden. How many times have we seen voters choose something, only to have the opposing party say “nope, we’re doing what we want”? It’s a pattern that erodes faith in the democratic process. In the specific context of the new district, it’ll be fascinating to see how the primaries shape up. Perhaps we’ll see a progressive candidate emerge. Regardless, it’s good to see that, even in a state as traditionally conservative as Utah, a more sensible decision has prevailed.
Now, there are some lingering concerns. A common worry is that this will eventually be overturned by the Supreme Court. There’s a cynicism that creeps in, a feeling that no matter what happens, it’ll be undone. But let’s hope cooler heads continue to prevail. Someone pointed out that a claim wasn’t even brought forth by Democrats, which should be acknowledged. A few are wondering what the new map will look like, and if any other districts might be in play. The question of whether it’s just going to be one seat being affected is also being brought up.
As we know, they tried something similar last year and it got us to the point of a legal decision. In 2018, they were even required to redraw the map, and they ended up creating one that was even *more* gerrymandered than before. This time around, the judge made it clear: if the legislature couldn’t draw a non-partisan map, the court would step in. And that’s exactly what happened. In the grand scheme of things, though, it’s likely a former member of Congress will take that seat, and there’s a good chance this will stand as it’s governed by the Utah constitution, meaning it’s not appealable to the Supreme Court.
The good news is that the approved map gives the left-leaning Salt Lake area its own district. It’s not necessarily a guaranteed Democratic seat, but rather competitive. The other three districts are likely to remain safely Republican, as they include the more rural areas of Utah. Even in a heavily Republican state, this at least ensures some representation for the Democratic voters who live there. No, the ruling makes one seat solidly blue and the other three solidly red. The new map means Salt Lake City will finally be properly represented, considering that over a third of Utah’s population lives there.
There’s the common worry that the Supreme Court could still get involved. While it’s always possible that SCOTUS could strike something down if it violates the US constitution, the constitution gives states significant power over elections. The Supreme Court will likely decline to hear the case if appealed. However, there’s also the feeling that since they roll everything they don’t like to SCOTUS. The overall feeling is positive, particularly the potential for a Democratic gain, and the overall belief that Democrats could retake the House next year.