The South Carolina Senate effectively killed the Trump-backed mid-decade redistricting effort Tuesday, ensuring the state’s congressional map will remain unchanged for the 2026 elections.
The Senate refused to end debate on a procedural motion, effectively preserving South Carolina’s current 6R-1D congressional map and protecting the district held by longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn.
Republicans Broke Party Lines
The effort collapsed after roughly a dozen Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
Lawmakers cited several concerns, including the fact that in-person early voting for the June primary had already begun.
Opponents argued changing the map midstream could invalidate tens of thousands of ballots and potentially disenfranchise voters who had already participated in the election process.
Cost and Political Risks Raised
State officials also warned that canceling the active primary and scheduling a separate special congressional primary could cost between $5.3 million and $6 million in additional election administration expenses.
Some conservative Republicans additionally argued the proposed map represented an “extremely risky” political overreach that could unintentionally weaken existing Republican-held districts by spreading Democratic voters too broadly across multiple seats.
Another Setback for Mid-Decade Redistricting Efforts
The decision marks a significant setback for allies of President Donald Trump who have encouraged additional redistricting efforts in Republican-controlled states ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The broader national battle over congressional maps continues unfolding across several Southern states as both parties prepare for another high-stakes fight over control of the United States House of Representatives.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Americans (mainly the Conservative Voters): Hello. In response to blue states creating congressional voting districts to eliminate any Republican House seats in any blue state: I suspect Trump47 will force a bevy of those principal blue states to secede from the Union…namely including CA, OR, WA, IL, NY, NM, VA, MN, CT, MA. No more Federal funds for those “states”. The Wall…for one area, when the Wall from Az touches “ca” from the East, the Wall will proceed due North along “ca”, “or”, and “wa” until reaching the Canada border.