Updated May 14, 2026 — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to call a special session of the state legislature Thursday afternoon to redraw the state’s congressional map, according to two state sources familiar with planning.
Republican leaders across the country have moved to revise district lines after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling narrowed aspects of the Voting Rights Act, and South Carolina Republicans aim to pass a map that would favor GOP candidates in all seven U.S. House districts. The new plan would notably alter the district held by powerful Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn.
A procedural effort to advance redistricting in the state Senate failed earlier this week because of GOP holdouts. Lawmakers say a special session will require only a simple majority to pass a redistricting bill, making it easier to approve a new map than through the regular session process.
State Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican who voted against Tuesday’s procedural measure, said he will continue to oppose any redraw. “South Carolina’s maps are legally sound, our electoral position is strong, and the process being proposed remains constitutionally and practically indefensible,” he wrote in an email explaining his vote.
McMaster urged lawmakers to complete their work in keeping with constitutional requirements. “I urge the General Assembly to finish its work according to the U.S. and South Carolina constitutions and the best interests of the people,” he said after the Senate vote.
South Carolina’s primaries are currently scheduled for June 9; lawmakers are also considering separate legislation that would move the contests to August to accommodate changes to district lines.
The push to redraw maps has accelerated across Southern states since the Supreme Court found last month that Louisiana’s 2021 congressional map placed too much emphasis on race in creating a Section 2 Voting Rights Act majority-Black district. That decision prompted governors and legislatures to call special sessions or reschedule primaries while they reconsider maps. In Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry suspended House primaries and called a special session; the state Senate advanced a new map this week that would favor Republicans in five of six seats.
Other states have taken similar steps. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey rescheduled primaries in several districts after courts and the Supreme Court’s decision altered the legal framework governing majority-Black districts. Tennessee lawmakers approved a congressional map that splits the Memphis area and would favor Republicans across all nine districts.
National political leaders have publicly supported aggressive redistricting efforts; former President Donald Trump has praised such efforts as “a wonderful process” as states review and revise congressional boundaries. As lawmakers move quickly ahead of upcoming primary dates, debates are likely to continue over the legality and political impact of these new maps.