Judges all across this country are engaging in disturbing behavior. It’s truly an issue that needs to be stopped.
And a corrupt judge did a favor for Democrats that sent the GOP into a frenzy.
A Utah judge has single-handedly redrawn the state’s congressional map, handing Democrats a potential lifeline in a solidly red state.
Judge Dianna Gibson’s ruling ignores the will of the elected legislature and sparks outrage among Republicans who see it as classic judicial tyranny.
Utah’s four congressional districts are under Republican control, and lawmakers crafted a map designed to keep it that way, ensuring strong representation for conservative voices across the state.
But Gibson stepped in just before a midnight deadline, declaring the legislature’s map “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.” She demanded a redraw to eliminate what she called gerrymandering, putting her own judgment above the people’s chosen representatives.
Instead of letting lawmakers handle it, the judge picked a map from left-leaning groups like the League of Women Voters and Mormon Women for Ethical Government.
This new setup crams Salt Lake County—a Democratic stronghold—into one district, rather than spreading it out to balance the scales.
Democrats, of course, cheered the move. In a joint statement, they proclaimed, “This is a win for every Utahn.” They added, “We took an oath to serve the people of Utah, and fair representation is the truest measure of that promise.”
Republicans aren’t taking this lying down. They blast the judge for grabbing power she doesn’t have, imposing a map that bypassed legislative approval entirely.
State Rep. Matt MacPherson called the ruling a “gross abuse of power” and launched an impeachment push to hold Gibson accountable.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders are rallying supporters for a ballot initiative to scrap Proposition 4, the measure that birthed the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission and opened the door to this mess.
State Rep. Candice Pierucci, who co-chairs the redistricting committee, tore into the decision as a “clear example judicial activism.”
She accused Gibson of deciding “that her personal opinion outweighs Utah’s Constitution and the will of the people,” and claimed that “despite the state legislature’s efforts to work with her orders,” the judge put it into motion “from the start,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
This isn’t the first time Gibson has clashed with conservatives. The Salt Lake Tribune notes ongoing Republican frustration with her pattern of meddling in legislative affairs.
As the Tribune reports: “Republican legislative leaders have previously said Gibson overstepped her judicial authority when she forced lawmakers to redraw the congressional boundaries and that they would appeal to the Utah Supreme Court and possibly the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Adding fuel to the fire, the Utah Republican Party is gathering signatures for an initiative to wipe out Proposition 4 once and for all. They’ll need about 141,000 valid ones to get it on the 2026 ballot, though it won’t touch the map for that year’s elections.
Even amid the backlash, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson says she’ll follow the judge’s order for now, implementing the new map “unless otherwise ordered by an appeals court.”
This episode highlights the dangers of unelected judges playing politics from the bench.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
