South Carolina House Passes New Map Aimed at Forcing Out Clyburn

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/us/politics/south-carolina-redistricting-map-clyburn.html

South Carolina House Passes New Map Aimed at Forcing Out Clyburn
The changes include a redraw of the congressional district held by James E. Clyburn, the Democratic power broker. The map now goes to the State Senate.
By Eduardo Medina
May 20, 2026, 12:51 a.m. ET

The South Carolina House of Representatives passed a new congressional map early Wednesday morning aimed at eliminating the state’s only Democratic seat at the urging of President Trump.

Among the proposed changes is a significant, Republican-leaning shift of the Sixth Congressional District, which is currently represented by James E. Clyburn, a powerful Black Democrat.

The map now heads to the State Senate, where some conservative members have been more hesitant to jump into the nation’s redistricting battles. Republicans already hold six of the state’s seven congressional seats, and some lawmakers have expressed skepticism about possibly unseating Mr. Clyburn, a power broker who has funneled vast resources into South Carolina over the years.

Indeed, there initially appeared to be little appetite for redistricting from Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, who did not immediately call for a special session on the issue. And some conservative state senators voiced opposition to the idea, saying it could backfire and create more competitive districts for Democrats by spreading out liberal voters — known as a dummymander.

But then Mr. McMaster, who has faced pressure from much of the conservative base to heed Mr. Trump’s demands, announced that he would call for a special session focused on redistricting and the state budget.

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