Team,

This month, Utah Republicans passed a new, gerrymandered map — it was in response to a court order mandating they had to redraw their map because it was — you guessed it — already gerrymandered.

Utah voters are clear about where they stand on gerrymandering. In 2018, they passed a ballot measure that established independent redistricting reforms to take politicians out of the process of deciding district lines. 

Now, Republicans are flagrantly ignoring the will of the people and attempting to silence voters with a new gerrymandered map. To add insult to injury, Republicans are simultaneously pushing legislation that would make it harder for courts to strike down a gerrymander — essentially negating the independent process Utahns voted for in 2018.

This isn’t unique to Utah, and power grabs like these are spreading like wildfire. But the American people are rising up. The fight for fair maps and equitable representation is growing by the day.

The NDRC is the leading organization galvanizing voters to reject Republican power grabs. With so much at stake, will you donate to fund the NDRC’s state-by-state strategy to fight for fairness in our democracy?

These new maps are already being exposed as deeply gerrymandered. According to one expert, a computer simulated 10,000 maps drawn by following the independent criteria voters approved in 2018. More than 99% of them created a Democratic opportunity district — the map Republicans are pushing does not. It’s an “extreme partisan outlier.”

Utah voters — like the overwhelming majority of Americans — don’t want politicians to manipulate maps to avoid accountability. And yet, Utah Republicans are determined to undermine the voters’ will by watering down these independent reforms in a cynical attempt to hold onto power.

Worse, this new gerrymandered map is clearly designed to silence communities of color. Two of Utah’s most diverse and interconnected cities — Salt Lake and West Valley — are divided into separate districts. Additionally, the Paiute Reservation is separated from the Navajo Nation and the Uintah and Ouray Reservations, diluting the voting power of people living in those reservations.

Utahns — and all Americans — deserve better. The NDRC is using every tool in our toolbox to hold craven politicians like these accountable — and we won’t relent until every voter is fairly represented in our democracy. 

Power our fight in this watershed moment for the fair maps movement. You can ensure we have the resources we need to be just as relentless as those trying to silence voters.

Thank you for your steadfast support, and for standing by us in the fights ahead.

John Bisognano
President
National Democratic Redistricting Committee