South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster abruptly called a special legislative session Thursday to redraw the state's congressional districts, a move that would likely eliminate the majority-minority seat held by Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, one of the party's most influential figures in Washington.
The governor announced the session would begin Friday morning through an executive order posted to X, citing the need to address "the state budget and congressional districts." The reversal came after the Republican-controlled state Senate blocked an effort earlier this week to extend its current session for redistricting purposes, despite public pressure from President Donald Trump.
McMaster had initially declined to summon lawmakers for special redistricting work. The shift signals intensifying national Republican efforts to reshape electoral maps in Southern states following a major Supreme Court decision last month that stripped away key Voting Rights Act protections against racial gerrymandering.
Tennessee has already enacted a new map dismantling its only majority-Black district, represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen. Alabama won approval to reduce its number of majority-minority districts. Louisiana's state Senate passed a map Thursday targeting one of the state's two Democratic-held seats.
Trump directly lobbied South Carolina Republicans via Truth Social on Monday, urging them to act boldly and move forward with redistricting. "I'm watching closely, along with all Republicans across the Country," Trump wrote, praising Tennessee Republicans and calling on South Carolina to "BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS" and "GET IT DONE."
Yet Republican unity has cracked. Five GOP senators withheld support from this week's measure that would have extended the session, denying the party the two-thirds majority required under normal procedures. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey led the resistance, citing principle rather than partisan calculation.
"I believe that our state is stronger with vibrant parties," Massey said during floor debate. "I think we, as a whole, are stronger when we have a clash of ideas. Republicans are stronger when the Democrat Party is vibrant and viable."
The special session eliminates that procedural hurdle. A simple majority in both chambers will suffice to pass a new map, making passage far easier and giving McMaster a clearer path to advance the redistricting effort despite lingering Republican hesitation.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "McMaster blinked at Trump's pressure the first time, but came back swinging. The special session is a naked power play that strips away the deliberative process, and it signals how little appetite the national GOP has for principled opposition anymore."
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