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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah earned an additional congressional seat following the 2010 census, and Republican state lawmakers in charge of the redistricting process used that opportunity to slice up the district of seven-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson into four parts.
Matheson ran in the 4th District in 2012 and won, but just barely. He held off Republican Mia Love by fewer than 800 votes in the most expensive congressional race in state history.
Now Matheson isn't seeking re-election and the odds are a Republican will win the seat.
Matheson has dismissed speculation that his decision to retire was spurred by fear he would lose his seat to a tough GOP challenger.
But by stepping down, political scientists say he avoids what would have been another bruising race in a Republican gerrymandered district.
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