A federal court rejected an attempt by Utah Republicans to throw out a court-ordered congressional map that would create a Democrat-friendly district.
Utah's four congressional seats are currently held by Republicans.
The ruling marked the second setback in recent days for Republicans, who also lost an appeal at the Utah Supreme Court.
The districts were imposed by a judge last November after he ruled the Utah Legislature circumvented standards against partisan gerrymandering that were approved by voters in 2018 and struck down a map adopted after the 2020 census.
The new map keeps Salt Lake County almost entirely in one district.
Salt Lake City is a reliably blue part of Utah, having voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump by more than 10 points.
The map Republicans created had split the county into each of its four districts. Republicans, led by Reps. Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens, and a dozen local officials, argued in their lawsuit that the state judge did not have legal authority to enact a map that was not approved by the Legislature.
The three-judge panel ruled Republicans weren't likely to prevail in their argument, and said it was too late for judges to intervene in the election.
The filing period for Utah's congressional candidates opens March 9, party caucuses are scheduled for March 17, and state party conventions are to be held April 25.
"An active primary is ongoing, and the election has drawn too close for the court to get involved," the court said. "The possibility of voter confusion is a considerable risk were the panel to enjoin the current election map."
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he was not surprised by the decision.
"I think that most people thought that was a little bit of a long shot, but certainly one that was worth trying," Cox said, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. "But there was nothing in that order that surprised anyone."
The fight over the new maps is not over.
A Republican-backed group recently submitted petition signatures to try to get a measure on the November ballot repealing the independent redistricting commission and the provision against partisan gerrymandering.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the Utah effort last month, endorsing the repeal initiative in a post on Truth Social and framing the issue as one of voter authority versus judicial overreach.
"Utahns deserve maps drawn by those they elect, not rogue judges or left-wing activists who never faced the voters," Trump wrote, urging supporters to sign the petition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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