Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson officially declared Thursday that the initiative to repeal the state's independent redistricting law failed to qualify for the 2026 ballot after failing to meet signature requirements in two Senate districts.
Signature counts and failure details
The repeal effort, spearheaded by the group Utahns for Representative Government—an organization founded by Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson—collected 161,961 valid signatures statewide. While this exceeded the 140,749 signatures required for the state level, the petition failed to meet the necessary 8% threshold in at least 26 of Utah's 29 Senate districts, according to Henderson's declaration.
Political maneuvering at Republican convention
The failure follows a period of high-stakes political maneuvering by the Utah Republican Party. During the party's nominating convention held on April 25 at Utah Valley University, Axson and other candidates criticized recent court rulings that led to a new congressional map. The court-ordered redistricting, which resulted from an anti-gerrymunndering lawsuit, created a new district in northern Salt Lake County that Republicans expect Democrats to win.
Opposition to Utah Supreme Court
At the convention, Axson expressed strong opposition to the judicial process, specifically targeting Utah Supreme Court Justices Diana Hagen and Jill Pohlman. During his opening speech, Axson urged delegates to vote against the justices in their November retention elections and called for party donations to fund efforts to unseat them.
Shifting landscape and primary battles
The convention also highlighted a shifting political landscape caused by redistricting. While some incumbents like Rep. Mike Kennedy ran unopposed, others faced significant challenges. In the 2nd Congressional District, delegates nominated state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee with 61.5% of the vote, setting up a primary battle against incumbent Rep. Blake Moore, who had already qualified for the ballot through signature gathering.
Advocacy groups react to outcome
Despite the failure of the repeal effort, advocacy groups like Better Boundaries praised the outcome. Elizabeth Rasmussen, executive director of the group, stated that the attempt to dismantle the independent redistricting system was stopped by voters who refuse to let politicians rewrite the rules.
