Utah’s Third District Court has struck down the state’s 2021 congressional map, ruling that the Republican-controlled legislature violated voters’ constitutional rights when it repealed Proposition 4, a 2018 ballot measure that created an independent redistricting commission and barred partisan gerrymandering. In a 76-page opinion issued Monday, Judge Dianna Gibson said lawmakers “unconstitutionally repealed” the initiative and enacted legislation that diluted the public’s authority to reform redistricting. Gibson ordered the legislature to pass a “remedial” map within 30 days — effectively by late September — so that new boundaries are in place for the 2026 midterm elections. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, the state’s chief elections official, has asked that the case be resolved by November to leave time for candidate filing in January. Legislative leaders signaled they will appeal to the Utah Supreme Court and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court, raising the prospect of further delays. The current map parcels Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County across all four districts, giving Republicans a lock on Utah’s House delegation. Redrawing the lines could restore at least one competitive seat, a potential boon to Democrats as they seek to erode the GOP’s narrow majority in Congress ahead of 2026.