Clyburn's district stays intact as South Carolina Republicans scrap redistricting

A majority-Black congressional district held for 34 years by South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn will remain unchanged for now after Republican state lawmakers rejected a proposed redistricting plan. South Carolina was among Southern states attempting to redraw district lines after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a Voting Rights Act provision that protected majority-Black districts. The plan backed by President Trump would have targeted Clyburn, the lone Democrat in South Carolina’s congressional delegation. State senators declined to advance the map, and some Republicans cited concerns about delaying House primaries and stopping an election already underway. Clyburn said Republicans ignored constitutional principles and pledged to seek another term regardless of the map.

"The majority-Black district held for 34 years by South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn will survive intact, for now, after Republican state lawmakers rejected a plan to redraw congressional maps. South Carolina was the latest Southern state attempting to redraw district lines after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a key section of the Voting Rights Act that protected majority-Black districts. The proposed map backed by President Trump, which state senators declined to advance on Tuesday, would have targeted Clyburn, the lone Democrat in South Carolina's congressional delegation and an institution in state and national politics."

""We have someone in the White House that wants Republicans to ignore the Constitutional principles for which this current map was drawn," Clyburn wrote on X. "A critical number of Republicans did not believe in putting a man over the law. Today, members of the South Carolina State Senate stood up for the constitutional principles that they say they believe in." Clyburn had pledged to seek another term, regardless of the map."

"State officials said House primaries would have been delayed if the legislature redrew the lines. Clyburn voted in Orangeburg on Tuesday, the first day of early voting for the state's June primary. The beginning of early voting was on the minds of some state lawmakers in the state capitol, as they debated redistricting. "South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today," Republican state Sen. Richard Cash said. "And neither my conscience or common sense is going to let me stop an election that is already underway.""

""It's hard to overstate the significance of Jim Clyburn in the state," Wofford says. "It's a cliche, but he's basically a living legend"

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