The Republican-led South Carolina state Senate on Tuesday rejected a measure to take up a redraw of the state’s congressional map despite pressure from President Donald Trump.
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A resolution that would have extended the state’s current legislative session, set to end this week, to tackle redistricting fell short of the two-thirds support needed, with five Republicans voting against it.
The vote shuts the door, at least for now, for Republicans to carve up the state’s lone majority-Black district, represented by longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump had urged the South Carolina state Senate to pass the resolution, which the state House had previously approved, in a Truth Social post Monday night.
“The South Carolina State Senate has a big vote tomorrow on Redistricting. I’m watching closely, along with all Republicans across the Country,” Trump posted. “South Carolina Republicans: 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, leave the rest on the same schedule. Everything will be fine. GET IT DONE!”
Several GOP-controlled Southern states have considering redrawing their congressional maps following a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that effectively eliminated the racial gerrymandering protections from the Voting Rights Act. Tennessee passed a new map last week, while Alabama and Louisiana Republicans are taking steps to do the same.
It’s turbocharged an already aggressive mid-decade redistricting battle as both parties vie for control of the narrowly divided House this fall.
South Carolina’s current legislative session is due to end Thursday afternoon and lawmakers in both the state Senate and the state House were going to need more time to advance a new map. On Monday, Republicans in the state House voted to extend the end of their legislative session to give them more time, and the state Senate spent all of their session on Tuesday debating the same measure.
In an extensive speech, Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said that attempting to draw a new map would be short-sighted.
“I believe that our state is stronger with vibrant parties. I think we, as a whole, are stronger when we have a clash of ideas. I think that’s true at the national level. I think it’s true at the state level. We are stronger when we have a clash of ideas, and we can discuss those policy goals,” Massey said. “Republicans are stronger when the Democrat Party is vibrant and viable.”
He also took on Trump indirectly, comparing his own defiance of the president to South Carolina’s role in the U.S. Civil War.
“I have too much southern blood in me to surrender. Indeed, as some of you will recognize, it is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid, to think and act for myself,” Massey said. “I’ve got too much southern in my blood. I’ve got too much resistance in my heritage.”
It remains unclear what happens next, and there are still options for legislative Republicans to enact a new maps. Among them is the possibility of Republican Gov. Henry McMaster calling a special session for lawmakers to tackle redistricting.