Republicans need to unite. If they have any hopes of winning the midterms, it needs to be immediately.
Now a RINO Republican sold the party down the river for a despicable reason.
Weak Reforms Hand Democrats an Opening
Utah Republicans are fuming after a court-ordered congressional map delivered a Democratic-leaning district in Salt Lake County—the first in decades—potentially costing the GOP a safe seat.
The mess traces back to 2018, when Rep. Blake Moore co-chaired the anti-gerrymandering group Better Boundaries and backed Proposition 4, a ballot measure sold as curbing partisan map-drawing.
RINO Naivety Fuels the Backlash
Moore’s early support for the so-called reform helped create an independent advisory commission that tied the hands of Republican legislators. When the GOP-controlled legislature tried to draw four solidly red districts in 2025, District Judge Dianna Gibson struck it down, claiming excessive partisanship.
She imposed a new map featuring a blue-tilted seat centered on Salt Lake City, handing Democrats a foothold they couldn’t earn at the ballot box.
Efforts to repeal Proposition 4 fell short despite President Trump’s endorsement and grassroots pushes from groups like Turning Point Action. Now, conservatives are directing sharp criticism at Moore, dubbing him “Salt Lake Blake.” Davis County GOP chair Don Guymon called the whole affair “a slap in the face” to longtime Republicans.
Former state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, who is challenging Moore, asked pointedly, “What good is a leadership position when Blake made it easier for Democrats to take the House?” Tyler Bowyer of Turning Point Action was blunt: “We blame Salt Lake Blake for this entire mess.”
True Conservatives Demand Loyalty, Not Compromise
Moore brushed off the heat as “an opportunistic thing,” insisting he opposes the judge’s overreach and believes the legislature should retain its constitutional role in finalizing maps. Yet his past embrace of feel-good reforms that empowered activist judges and plaintiffs has left Utah Republicans scrambling.
This episode exposes the danger of RINO-style gestures that prioritize bipartisanship optics over raw political advantage.
In a deep-red state like Utah, Republicans should be drawing aggressive maps that lock in every possible seat—not watering down their power with vague “anti-gerrymandering” rules that courts weaponize against them. Real leadership means fighting for conservative majorities, not handing Democrats gifts through well-intentioned but naive experiments.
Primary voters have every right to hold accountable those whose past choices weaken the party’s grip on power.
