The new Utah congressional map, which creates a safe-blue district, will force the four current Republican members of the delegation to compete for three GOP seats.
The four Republicans have discussed possible configurations, though no final decision has been made, according to two people aware of the conversations who were granted anonymity to discuss the dynamic. The congresspeople have publicly said they will make no decision until the map is finalized, anticipating potential legal appeals.
“We’re still waiting to see if there might be one other change,” said Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah). “In the meanwhile, we’re not going to speculate.”
Leaders of the Republican-controlled Utah legislature vowed to appeal after a district judge tossed out the GOP-leaning map the legislature drew and selected a plaintiff’s map on November 10. But over a week has passed without lawmakers filing the appeal. Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz told a local TV station the deadline to appeal the 2026 map “has come and gone.”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen for 2026,” Schultz said. “We’re hoping for some miracle to come in and say, ‘No, this isn’t right.’”
If the map holds, many expect Owens, who has served since 2021, to retire, leaving Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) in the northern Utah district and Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy to split the other two.
“The thing we’re good at in politics in Utah that a lot of other states struggle with, is talking to each other and working together and figuring out what’s best for the state,” Maloy said. “We’re still in the process of doing that, but I’m confident we can figure it out.”
