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Utah—Yes, Utah—Sends a Democrat to Congress
Ben McAdams, a Democrat and former congressman, won Utah’s House race with more than 70 per cent of the vote, defeating Republican Riley Owen. His victory is the state’s first Democratic House win in eight years and highlights how fairer electoral maps can make competition possible in a state long shaped by Republican gerrymandering.
Voters narrowly approved an independent redistricting commission in 2018, but Republican officials fought the initiative through legislation and court challenges. The article says McAdams’s win may be temporary, as Republicans could seek to undo the maps in courts they have sought to reshape; he previously lost his seat in 2020 to Republican Burgess Owens.
In short
- Ben McAdams won Utah’s House race with over 70 per cent.
- The victory followed years of efforts to secure fairer maps.
- Republicans may try to overturn the maps in court.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
McAdams’s win can be seen as evidence that fairer electoral maps give voters a more meaningful choice and allow a state’s political diversity to be represented in Congress. Supporters of the independent commission argue that drawing districts through a less partisan process strengthens electoral competition and public confidence, particularly where one party has long dominated.
The case against
Critics could argue that redistricting rules should be set through the state’s constitutional and political processes, and that courts should resolve disputes over whether the commission’s maps comply with the law. They may also caution that one election result does not by itself establish that a map is fair or that the outcome reflects a lasting shift in Utah voters’ preferences.