South Carolina lawmakers will return to Columbia for a special session on congressional maps as Republican-led states revisit district boundaries following a recent Supreme Court ruling.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced Thursday that state lawmakers will reconvene for a special legislative session focused on congressional redistricting, placing the state at the center of a renewed national fight over House maps ahead of future federal elections.
In a post on X, McMaster said he had issued an executive order directing the General Assembly to return to the state capital Friday morning.
“I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM,” McMaster wrote.
The move follows growing momentum among Republican-led states to revisit congressional boundaries after the U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district, ruling the map relied too heavily on race and therefore constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
The ruling has triggered renewed map discussions across several Southern states where congressional boundaries have been the subject of years of legal disputes involving race, voting rights, and partisan representation.
In South Carolina, Republican lawmakers have debated proposals that could significantly reshape the state’s congressional delegation, including efforts that critics say would dismantle the state’s only Democratic-held congressional district.
The redistricting effort encountered resistance earlier this week when several Republican state senators reportedly broke with party leadership Tuesday, temporarily blocking proposals tied to congressional map revisions.
The special session called by McMaster is expected to renew negotiations among lawmakers over how district boundaries should be redrawn.
South Carolina is not alone in revisiting congressional maps.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also announced a special legislative session Wednesday to address congressional redistricting before the 2028 presidential election cycle.
The Georgia General Assembly is scheduled to convene June 17 to begin deliberations on revised district boundaries.
Georgia’s action comes despite voting already being underway for the state’s 2026 primary elections, underscoring the urgency Republican leaders have attached to the redistricting process following the recent Supreme Court decision.
The renewed push for map changes across multiple states has intensified national attention on redistricting battles that could reshape the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives over the next several election cycles.
Republican lawmakers in several states have argued that previous district maps relied excessively on racial considerations and must now be revised to comply with constitutional standards established by the Court.
Democrats and voting-rights advocates have warned that new redistricting efforts could reduce minority representation and alter the political makeup of key congressional districts throughout the South.
The South Carolina special session begins Friday at 11 a.m., with congressional districts and state budget matters expected to dominate the agenda.
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