NRF Statement on Federal Court Greenlighting Utah’s Fair Congressional Map for 2026 Midterms

Washington, D.C. – Today, a federal three-judge panel denied an emergency request from Utah politicians to block the state’s new fair, state court-adopted congressional map from being used in the 2026 midterm elections. As a result, Utah’s new fair map will be used in the 2026 midterms. 

The emergency request was filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit, Powers Gardner v. Henderson, which was brought by a group of Utah elected officials seeking not only to overturn Utah’s fair, court-adopted congressional map, but also to give state legislatures near-total control over federal election laws. The National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed an amicus brief opposing the effort to block Utah’s new, fair congressional map.

“This is a major victory for Utahns who will vote on a fair congressional map in the 2026 midterms,” said Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the NRF. “Ever since a state court struck down Utah’s illegal gerrymander and upheld citizen-enacted redistricting reforms, too many politicians have responded shamefully by doing all they can to circumvent the will of Utah voters—and those efforts are not stopping. It is critical to ensure that Utah’s fair congressional map remains in place for the rest of the decade, and we will continue to fight to make sure that happens.” 

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