This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Along with a requirement of equal population, many states have enacted the redistricting requirements of compactness and community of interest. Not Utah. Alas, the blowsy flower petals that make up Utah's four congressional districts emanate great distances from the dissected pistil of Salt Lake City. This method of redistricting has ensured that I do not share a community of interest with my 2nd District fellow constituents. I have resigned myself to this simple fact: As a Salt Lake City resident with a progressive cultural and political identity, I have been gerrymandered into oblivion.

If I learned one lesson, though, during the 2016 election, it's that everything is up for grabs. Accordingly, I have registered as a Republican. Now I can vote in the exclusive Utah Republican primary elections. I eagerly anticipate a challenge to Orrin Hatch's eighth term. I'm even considering moving into the 3rd District. I just think that elephants are cuter than donkeys. Come to think of it, though, Rep. Jason Chaffetz does remind me of a donkey … in his stubborn pursuit of the great ethical issues of our time, like national park tweets.

Jennifer Fegely

Salt Lake City