South Carolina House Republicans approved a revised congressional map shortly after midnight that would reshape Rep. Jim Clyburn’s Democratic stronghold into more competitive territory as pressure mounts from President Donald Trump and national GOP leaders.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The South Carolina House approved a controversial congressional redistricting proposal early Wednesday morning that would significantly alter the boundaries of Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn’s 6th Congressional District, advancing a Republican-led effort to redraw political maps ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
The measure passed the House by a 74-37 vote at 12:39 a.m., sending the legislation to the South Carolina Senate as lawmakers race against the approaching May 26 start of early voting.
According to ABC News, the proposal would redraw South Carolina’s only Democrat-held congressional district into territory more favorable to Republicans in a state where the GOP already controls six of the seven congressional seats.
The new map was developed by the National Republican Redistricting Trust and represents part of a broader mid-decade redistricting effort encouraged by President Donald Trump in several Republican-controlled states.
Clyburn, a longtime Democratic power broker and former House majority whip, won reelection in 2024 with approximately 60 percent of the vote.
The legislation, designated H.5683, also includes provisions delaying congressional primaries until Aug. 18 while reopening candidate filing from June 1 through June 5.
Under the proposal, the state’s originally scheduled June 9 primary elections would proceed for non-congressional races, but votes cast for U.S. House contests would not be counted.
According to the South Carolina Daily Gazette, the effort encountered significant procedural and political resistance before reaching final passage.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster initially declined to call lawmakers back for a special session focused on redistricting. The South Carolina Senate later voted 29-17 against extending the legislative session for the issue, falling two votes short of the required two-thirds threshold after five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
McMaster later reversed course and ordered lawmakers back to Columbia to address both redistricting and budget matters.
House Republicans ultimately overcame Democratic resistance by altering chamber debate rules to sharply limit amendment opportunities.
Lawmakers approved a procedural rule restricting each member to a single amendment on the redistricting bill, effectively nullifying hundreds of Democratic amendments filed in opposition to the proposal.
The rules change passed 73-33.
Republican state Rep. Tom Hartnett of Mount Pleasant joined Democrats in opposing both the procedural maneuver and the final congressional map.
Hartnett argued the revised district lines could weaken the Charleston region by grouping it with the Myrtle Beach area, forcing communities to compete against one another for federal resources.
Supporters of the redraw defended the plan as a measure intended to distribute voters more evenly across districts.
Republican state Rep. April Cromer, a member of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, argued during debate that the proposal would reduce the concentration of Black Democratic voters within a single district.
Pressure on South Carolina Republicans intensified following recent primary elections in Indiana, where Trump-backed candidates defeated several Republican state senators who had opposed a similar redistricting effort.
According to ABC News, at least five of seven Indiana Republican senators who resisted the plan lost their reelection bids earlier this month.
The fate of South Carolina’s proposal now rests with the Senate, where Majority Leader Shane Massey has signaled debate is likely to be prolonged and contentious.
The legislative battle has also triggered legal challenges.
The South Carolina chapters of the League of Women Voters and the ACLU filed suit in Richland County on May 19 against the House Rules Committee and House Speaker Murrell Smith.
The lawsuit alleges lawmakers violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act by failing to provide the legally required 24-hour public notice before the committee meeting that altered debate procedures and amendment rules.
An emergency court hearing on the matter was scheduled for Wednesday morning.
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