South Carolina Republicans have finalized a congressional redistricting plan that could secure an additional seat for the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections. The plan, modeled after a similar proposal from President Donald Trump, redistributes political districts to favor Republicans, putting Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn's district in question.
Democratic South Carolina Rep. Kambrell Garvin presents his version of a map for new congressional districts during the House session on redistricting on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Columbia, S.C.
A sign sits on the desk of Democratic South Carolina Rep. Annie McDaniel during the House redistricting debate on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. Democratic South Carolina Rep. John King asks a question during the House redistricting debate on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Columbia, S.C.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Micah Caskey reads a resolution limiting debate during the House session on redistricting on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. Democratic South Carolina Rep. Leon Howard speaks during the House redistricting debate on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Columbia, S.C.
– Republicans in the South Carolina House cast aside Democratic suggestions and objections Tuesday as they worked toward a key vote on a congressional redistricting plan that could give the GOP a shot at winning an additional seat in the November midterm elections.
The redistricting plan, urged on by President Donald Trump, would reshape the state's only Democratic-held U.S. House district to Republicans' advantage as part of aIf endorsed Tuesday, the plan would need one more routine House vote to move to the more skeptical Senate, where some Republicans have questioned whether redistricting could backfire -- making districts competitive enough for Democrats to gain seats instead of securing all seven for the GOP. , whose seat is targeted, has said he will continue running for an 18th term even if his district gets changed.
During Tuesday's debate, Democrats praised Clyburn's work on behalf of the state and repeatedly objected to plans to reshape his district. Republicans repeatedly rejected their amendments.
“What you all are doing is wrong,” said Democratic state Rep. JA Moore, adding: “You can justify it, rationalize it, but it’s wrong. ” Republican state Rep. Melissa Oremus later accused Democrats of “fear-mongering” for raising concerns about the potential impact on Black voters, asserting: “People are not being blocked from voting because of the color of their skin.
” Early voting is to start May 26 for the June 9 primaries. To buy time for the newly proposed map to be implemented, the South Carolina legislation would remove U.S. House races from the June primaries and instead set a special primary election in August to select candidates.
Some absentee and overseas military votes that already have been cast for Congress would be tossed out.that struck down a majority-Black district in Louisiana as an illegal racial gerrymander and significantly weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts.. But the state plans to void the results in four of the seven U.S. House districts and instead hold special primaries Aug. 11 for those districts under different boundaries.
TheAll told, Republicans think they could win as many as 15 additional seats from revised US. House districts in seven states so far, while Democrats think they could gain up to six seats from new House districts in two states. That tally could change, though, as litigation continues in several states. Voters ultimately will decide whether those projections hold up.of public universities in states that “have moved to limit, weaken or erase Black voting representation.
” The campaign specifically calls out Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas — though new voting districts have not yet been enacted in all of those places. Democratic state Rep. John King echoed the boycott call from the House floor, urging Black athletes to instead attend one of the South Carolina's historically Black colleges.
“You cannot gerrymander away Black political power on Monday, then expect Black athletes to sell out your stadiums on Saturday,” King said. After Democrats had debated the proposed changes for hours on Monday, the Republican-controlled chamber changed the rules for Tuesday by limiting members to only one amendment and setting time limits for speeches. Republicans swiftly dismissing Democratic amendments.
They asked almost no questions before voting down proposals for voter education about moving primaries, to have the state pay all local costs for a rescheduled congressional primary, to move the general election back two weeks, and nearly three dozen other proposals. During his 10 minutes of allotted speech time, Democratic state Rep.
Jermaine Johnson talked about his grandfather, a Black soldier in the Army who was willing to die for his country but came home to a society where he was shamed and mistreated because of his skin color.
“We are far beyond a lot of atrocities that my grandfather faced. But I believe in 2026 we have manifested new ways of keeping people down,” said Johnson, who is running for the open governor’s seat. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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