South Carolina – South Carolina’s late push to redraw its congressional map hit a wall in the Senate this week, dealing a sharp blow to Republican hopes of reshaping the state’s U.S. House delegation before the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposal failed Tuesday, May 12, when senators voted 29-17 against an amended sine die resolution that would have allowed lawmakers to return after the regular session and take up congressional redistricting.
The plan needed a two-thirds majority to move forward but fell two votes short. Five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition, leaving the current map in place for now.
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The defeat came despite direct pressure from President Donald Trump and his allies, who had urged South Carolina Republicans to move quickly.
Trump posted on Truth Social ahead of the vote: “The South Carolina State Senate has a big vote tomorrow on Redistricting. I’m watching closely… BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS, just like the Republicans of the Great State of Tennessee were last week! Move the U.S. House Primaries to August… GET IT DONE!”
The effort was aimed at reopening the state’s seven congressional districts in the middle of the decade, rather than waiting until after the 2030 census.
The clearest target was the 6th Congressional District, the state’s only Democratic-held seat and a majority-Black district represented by longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. Republican supporters argued that recent statewide election results showed room to create a 7-0 GOP congressional delegation.
House Republicans had already taken the first step. On May 6, the House approved the procedural move 87-25, giving the plan momentum before it reached the Senate. Separate proposals, including H.5683 and H.5684, sought to create new congressional lines and move the congressional primary from June 9 to August.
But in the Senate, the pressure campaign ran into resistance from lawmakers worried about both the process and the consequences.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey was among the Republicans who opposed the move, along with Sean Bennett, Chip Campsen, Tom Davis and Greg Hembree, according to reports.
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Opponents warned that redrawing maps so late in the election calendar could create confusion for voters, election workers and candidates.
Absentee voting was already underway, including ballots sent to military and overseas voters. A delayed primary and possible runoff also carried a multimillion-dollar price tag, while election officials warned that voters could face uncertainty over where and when to cast ballots.
The redistricting push followed a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that encouraged Republicans in several states to revisit congressional maps, particularly districts shaped by Voting Rights Act considerations.
In South Carolina, that opened the door to discussions about splitting Democratic-leaning voters in and around Columbia, Charleston, York, Orangeburg and other areas across multiple districts.
Gov. Henry McMaster did not treat the Senate vote as the final word. In a post on X, he wrote:
“The General Assembly still has two full days in which to finish its important work, including giving full consideration – as sought by the people – to the important question of redistricting. I urge the General Assembly to finish its work according to the U.S. and South Carolina constitutions and the best interests of the people.”
The General Assembly still has two full days in which to finish its important work, including giving full consideration – as sought by the people – to the important question of redistricting. I urge the General Assembly to finish its work according to the U.S. and South Carolina…
— Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) May 13, 2026
For now, however, the clock is working against the plan. The regular legislative session is scheduled to end May 14, and without a new agreement, South Carolina’s current congressional map will remain in place for the November elections.
What began as an aggressive attempt to expand Republican power in Washington has become a reminder that even in a deeply Republican state, political pressure from the top does not always move every vote.
