⏰ Tick Tock
Days until the court-mandated deadline for lawmakers to submit new congressional maps (9/25/2025) - 15
Days until Election Day (11/4/2025) - 55
Days to the start of the 2026 Utah Legislature (1/20/2026) - 132
Days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) - 419
Days until the 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028) - 1,154
Most Americans reject mid-decade redistricting push
A wave of political map-redrawing is sweeping across America, but voters don’t agree with the unusual mid-decade redistricting, according to a new survey.
The redistricting battle started in July when President Donald Trump urged Texas lawmakers to redraw congressional maps mid-cycle, aiming to secure five additional Republican seats in next year's midterm elections. California countered, asking voters to approve changing its maps to eliminate five GOP-controlled seats in that state. Missouri is also redrawing maps to eliminate a Democratic-controlled seat, while other states are considering joining the fray.
This departure from the traditional once-per-decade redistricting process has struck a nerve with voters. According to a new poll by government ethics group Common Cause, 60% of Americans oppose allowing political parties to redraw maps outside the normal cycle, with just 26% supporting these mid-term changes.
However, nearly half of voters (49%) say off-cycle redistricting is okay if it’s done to offset another state’s attempt at a partisan power grab. 39% are opposed.
Utah's map do-over is different as it's the only one that's court-ordered. A judge found that lawmakers violated the Utah Constitution when they repealed a voter-approved independent redistricting commission. She tossed out the congressional map drawn by legislators in 2021 and set a deadline for later this month to submit new boundaries.
Survey respondents were split over who should have the responsibility for drawing new political maps. A slight plurality (39%) favors an independent commission over state legislators from both parties working together to draw maps (17%) or state legislators from one party (8%). Almost a quarter (24%) don't trust any group to draw fair maps.
Wednesday morning's headlines
Utah and the West
Grasping at straws: "Gotcha" moment in Utah gerrymandering fight fizzles. [Utah Political Watch]
Utah Supreme Court will review Legislature's request to pause redistricting ruling. [KSL]
Charlie Kirk brings "Prove Me Wrong" tour to Utah this week – and sparks a firestorm. [Deseret News]
Over 2,000 Utahns potentially exposed to measles at high school event. [KSL]
Utah theater company that champions women's stories loses funding because of anti-DEI law. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Manufacturing in Utah "really taking off," Small Business Administration official says. [Utah News Dispatch]
Nation
The Trump administration is seeking voter roll data from over 30 states to prove unfounded claims of non-citizens voting in elections. [New York Times]
The U.S. Justice Department considers handing over voter roll data for criminal probes, data shows. [Reuters]
Another Democratic special election win. James Walkinshaw wins the race for a vacant congressional seat in Virginia. [NBC News]
World
Poland says it shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace during attack on Ukraine. [NBC News]
Economy
A souring economy is weighing down Republican prospects in the upcoming midterm elections. [Semafor]
Inflation erased U.S. income gains last year. [Wall Street Journal]
Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison is poised to make more money on Wednesday than any human being has ever made in one day. [Axios]
Healthcare
Democratic governors are working to build a "vaccine firewall" to counter Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine agenda. [Politico]