Trump urges Utahns to get behind GOP ballot measure to restore gerrymandering
Conservative principles face implementation challenges as policy meets political complexity.
The press likes to treat “gerrymandering” as a one-word morality play, as if drawing districts is illegitimate whenever voters dislike the outcome. Utah’s debate is being framed as Trump asking for a partisan favor, rather than a question about who should hold power over maps in the first place. Conservatives tend to be wary of handing redistricting to unelected commissions that operate with vague standards and little accountability.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
President Donald Trump wants Utahns to support Republicans' effort to let the Legislature gerrymander the state's congressional districts.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The press likes to treat “gerrymandering” as a one-word morality play, as if drawing districts is illegitimate whenever voters dislike the outcome. Utah’s debate is being framed as Trump asking for a partisan favor, rather than a question about who should hold power over maps in the first place.
Conservatives tend to be wary of handing redistricting to unelected commissions that operate with vague standards and little accountability. The Legislature is imperfect, but it is at least answerable to voters, and its decisions can be challenged in court. What matters is transparent rules, equal representation, and clear lines of responsibility, not a feel-good process that shifts influence to activist networks.
If Utah changes its system, it should do so openly and consistently, with rule of law and public trust in mind. The principle at stake is simple: in a democracy, power should be traceable to the ballot, not insulated from it.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.