A federal court on Feb. 23 rejected Republicans’ request to block Utah’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Two judges on a three-judge panel disagreed with the politicians’ argument that a state court had exceeded its authority by implementing the map as a replacement for one created in 2021. The judges also said their hands were tied due to a legal doctrine known as the Purcell principle, which instructs courts not to alter state rules before election day.
