When the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission sits down to draw crucial district lines, Utah Democrats will be sitting close by, watching to ensure that Utahns, not Republican partisans, get to select their own elected representatives. Utah Democrats remain strongly committed to the most non-political, democratic approach to drawing district lines, which means supporting the Independent Redistricting Commission created by Prop. 4 in 2018.
“Voters should choose their elected officials; elected officials should not choose their voters. By following the lines of the Independent Redistricting Commission, the House and Senate have the chance to give Utahns lines they can trust.” said Utah Democratic Party Chair Jeff Merchant. “Utah Democrats do not know what to expect from the Commission, but we do expect maps that take people into account, not politicians. That is what democracy is about, and that is what Utahns want.”
The Utah Democratic Party implores members of the Independent Redistricting Commission to consider the best interest of all Utahns in drawing the fairest lines possible. This means connecting communities of interest by minimizing the splitting cities, towns, and counties, and wherever possible keeping neighborhoods intact. We trust the people’s commission to draw lines that maintain the simplest communities of interest—cities, towns and counties—and do so in a way that protects Utahns whether they are in rural areas, high population areas, or anywhere in between. We implore the Utah Legislature to likewise support the Independent Redistricting Commission and adopt the maps it develops. It is the only way to keep politicians’ self-interest out of the redistricting process.
