South Carolina Republicans push new map to target Clyburn seat

South Carolina Republicans are pressing for a new congressional map that could leave Rep. James E. Clyburn without a district of his own and give the GOP a clean 7-0 sweep in the state’s House delegation. Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to call lawmakers back to Columbia for a special session next week after a redistricting push stalled in the state Senate.

The fight centers on South Carolina’s seven congressional districts, where Democrats now hold just one seat: the 6th District, represented by Clyburn, who has served for decades and is now in his 17th term. A new map crafted by Republicans would try to erase that lone Democratic seat and strengthen the party’s hold on the state’s delegation as the battle for control of the U.S. House intensifies ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The move comes after South Carolina’s map survived a Supreme Court racial-gerrymandering case. In Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP, the court reversed a lower court ruling on May 23, 2024, leaving the current map in place. The plaintiffs later voluntarily dismissed their remaining claim in July 2024, ending the litigation and clearing the way for new political fights over the lines.

That national pressure is part of why South Carolina matters beyond its borders. Redistricting has become a central partisan weapon in the contest for the next Congress, with states including Texas and California already redrawing or approving maps for the 2026 cycle. The Associated Press has described the issue as part of a broader fight over House control, with several states moving to gain an edge before the next election.

Inside South Carolina, the push has also exposed Republican divisions. Some GOP leaders have warned that an aggressively drawn map could make otherwise safe Republican districts more competitive. Clyburn, meanwhile, has framed the effort as an attempt to strip Black voters of political power by targeting the state’s only Democratic-held seat. If McMaster sends lawmakers back as expected, South Carolina will become the latest front in a national arms race over congressional maps, with one party trying to lock in an advantage before voters return to the polls.