WASHINGTON — The Utah Republican Party is pushing voters to support a proposed congressional map they view as the most favorable to incumbent Republicans as part of their efforts to preserve their GOP stronghold in Congress in next year’s midterms.
The Utah GOP sent an email to donors and delegates urging them to submit comments in support of “Option C,” one of the six proposed maps that Republicans believe would offer their strongest chance to maintain control of all four of Utah’s House seats. The email encourages participation before the public comment period closes on Monday.
“This is the only map proposed that contains the redistricting criteria and legislative boundaries needed to stop the Democrats,” the email reads. “Map C is our best chance to preserve Utah’s representation.”
Utah Democrats were quick to criticize the email, accusing Republicans of unfairly using legislative resources to create a biased outcome.
“Appreciate your honesty (Utah GOP), surprising as it is, about putting in writing that Republicans are begging for the most rigged and the least competitive map,” Brian King, chairman of the Utah Democrats, said in a post on X.
Axson: State GOP was trying to boost participation
Utah GOP Chairman Robert Axson pushed back on those accusations, telling the Deseret News the missive only served to encourage participation in an already-publicized process.
“For a political party to claim that another political party engaging in the process is interference — that’s the whole purpose of political parties,” Axson said in an interview. “So Brian King and the Democrats can go and do whatever they want to do, and more power to them. I’m not afraid of their engagement. It’s interesting when they try to slander ours.”
Other state Democrats, such as state Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, similarly decried the efforts, warning it could lead to instances in which major parties insert their influence in a way that tilts the scales.
“As a party, as elected officials, the coalition on the left have been careful about trying not to direct people to allege certain things or make certain implications about specific maps. It’s more about getting a process that works,” Blouin said. “So that’s really what I’m more concerned about right now than, like, looking at a specific map,”
Republicans’ email campaign comes in the middle of the public comment period for Utah’s congressional maps, which is set to end on Monday when the state legislature will meet to approve a final proposal. The Utah Legislature will consider six map proposals to alter the state’s congressional boundaries before next year’s midterm elections, giving Democrats a rare opportunity to flip a seat.
Option C would be most favorable to Republicans, and is the option they most prefer, Axson told the Deseret News.
That proposal would alter the map to make Utah’s 1st District, held by Rep. Blake Moore, and its 4th District, held by Rep. Burgess Owens, safely Republican. When analyzing data from the 2024 election, Trump would have won the newly configured 1st District by about 29 percentage points and the 4th District by a whopping 48 percentage points.
But the 2nd and 3rd Districts, held by Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy, respectively, would be within 10 percentage points. Kennedy in the 3rd District would be the most competitive seat, but Maloy’s seat would also be more competitive.
It’s possible the representatives could switch what districts they will run in, especially depending on how the lines are drawn and where they currently live. It’s also possible the legislature will advance another map.
The changes in Utah are capturing the attention of national groups such as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats’ main fundraising arm, and the Democratic National Committee — with both groups telling the Deseret News they are keeping a close eye on the final outcome.
Democrats only need to net three seats in the 2026 midterm elections to wrest control of the House. The party also has historical precedence on its side as trends show that the party of the sitting president typically loses control of the House during midterm elections.
The four-member House delegation from Utah has not responded publicly to 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson’s ruling last month that the state illegally gerrymandered its current districts and must change them before the next election. But in conversations with the Deseret News, the lawmakers have indicated they’re taking a “watch and see” approach before weighing in on proposed changes.