Utah Judge May Face Impeachment After Ruling GOP Maps Were Gerrymandered

Utah Republicans appear to be readying articles of impeachment against a state judge who ruled the congressional maps they had redrawn were unconstitutional gerrymanders and in violation of a ballot initiative passed by voters seven years ago.

On Monday, Judge Dianna Gibson rejected congressional boundaries offered by Republicans in a lawsuit over the party originally drawing maps improperly following the last U.S. Census. Despite voters backing a ballot initiative in 2018 that created an independent, nonpartisan commission for drawing maps, the GOP-run state legislature ignored the will of the people, reducing the powers of that commission and essentially disregarding its proposal in 2020, drawing its own maps instead.

“In 2018, Utahns exercised their fundamental constitutional right to alter or reform their government via an initiative that, among other things, banned partisan gerrymandering,” Gibson noted in her ruling, recognizing that Republicans, in passing legislation seeking to ignore that initiative and draw their own maps, “unconstitutionally impair[ed] Proposition 4’s reforms.”

Gibson had previously asked all parties involved in the lawsuit to submit new maps for her to consider. Simulations offered by elections experts in the case showed that neutral maps would consistently result in three of the state’s four congressional districts leaning toward Republicans, with the fourth district leaning toward Democrats. However, Republicans in the case submitted a map that was still a partisan gerrymander, essentially awarding them all four districts in next year’s midterms.

“The public has an interest in proceeding with a congressional map in the 2026 election that complies with Proposition 4, not one that undermines the core reforms,” Gibson ruled, opting instead for a fairer map.

The new maps are more consistent with voters’ sentiments in the state. In 2024, nearly two in five voters backed Democratic candidate for president Kamala Harris. If that rate was applied to the four districts in the state, it would result in at least one seat going to Democrats. Instead, Republicans won all four seats, as they have in every congressional election since the ballot initiative and the partisan redrawing of districts.

In response to Gibson’s ruling on Tuesday morning, state Rep. Matt MacPherson (R) announced on X that he was in the process of drawing up articles of impeachment against Gibson.

“I have opened a bill to file articles of impeachment against Judge Gibson for gross abuse of power, violating the separation of powers and failing to uphold her oath of office to the Utah Constitution,” MacPherson wrote.

Utah judges can be impeached if the state legislature determines they have engaged in high crimes or misdemeanors, or other wrongdoings, while in office.

Republicans had also openly considered impeaching Gibson — who was appointed by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert the same year the ballot initiative was passed — when she ordered parties to redraw maps last month.

Several critics spoke out against the idea of impeaching the judge.

“This is unbelievable. She’s not doing anything that she shouldn’t do,” League of Women Voters Utah President Kathy Biele said, noting that Gibson was following directions by the Supreme Court of Utah to uphold the voter-backed initiative.

The Utah State Bar similarly blasted MacPherson’s calls to impeach Gibson, stating that it “strongly condemns any effort” to do so “based on her recent ruling.”

“The judiciary must remain free from political pressure so all Utahns can have confidence in fair, impartial courts,” the organization said in a press release. “Impeachment is reserved for serious misconduct, and disagreement should instead be addressed through the appeals process.”