A Win You Can Actually Feel

Austin Weatherford

Every movement needs proof. Utah just gave us some more.

This story started back in 2018 when Utah voters passed Proposition 4, which said, in plain terms, that redistricting in the state should follow neutral rules, respect real communities, and avoid partisan gerrymandering. It also created an independent redistricting commission as a voter-centered backstop.

The legislature refused to accept that. In 2020, it repealed Prop 4 and drew its own congressional map in 2021, a map the court later found was the product of that unconstitutional repeal. So reformers sued, represented by our strategic partner Campaign Legal Center (CLC).

On August 25, 2025, the district court agreed, ruled that the legislature had violated the Utah Constitution when it repealed Prop 4, struck down the 2021 map, and told everyone to get a lawful map in place for 2026. That was a big, clear win that I wrote about here:

https://www.brightamerica.org/p/a-win-you-can-actually-feel