South Carolina Senate rejects plan to redraw congressional districts as voting begins
The Facts
- The South Carolina Senate rejected a Republican proposal to redraw the state's congressional map after early in-person voting in the primaries had begun.
- The rejected South Carolina plan would have canceled the ongoing congressional primary voting and scheduled a new primary under revised district lines.
- The proposed South Carolina map was aimed at reshaping the district represented by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, the state's only Democrat in the U.S. House.
- Some South Carolina senators said they opposed changing the map because voting was already underway.
- The South Carolina dispute is part of a wider Republican effort ahead of the 2026 midterms to redraw congressional districts in hopes of improving the party's position in the U.S. House.
- On the same day, a three-judge federal panel blocked Alabama from using a Republican-backed congressional map for the 2026 elections and ordered the state to keep using the court-ordered map used in 2024.
- The Alabama judges said the blocked map intentionally discriminated on the basis of race by reducing the state to one majority-Black district.
- Further action remains possible in Alabama because Republican officials are expected to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Changing congressional lines after early voting had begun crossed a line for the South Carolina Senate, with both framings treating the rejection as a defense against canceling an active primary and restarting it under new rules.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about protecting fair representation from a partisan redistricting push aimed at the state's only House Democrat, or about enforcing procedural limits even when a party wants a stronger position before 2026.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
Why did South Carolina senators say they rejected the map change?
Multiple reports say senators argued it was too late to alter congressional districts because early in-person primary voting had already started, and they did not want to halt an election already underway Aol,BBC,Independent.
Why does this matter beyond South Carolina?
The South Carolina fight is part of a broader national redistricting battle ahead of the midterms, as Republicans seek more favorable House maps in states they control while the party defends a narrow House majority HuffPost,BBC,U.S. News & World R….
What happened in Alabama, and what comes next?
A three-judge federal panel barred Alabama from using a Republican-backed map for the 2026 elections, saying it intentionally discriminated against Black voters, and required continued use of the court-ordered map from 2024 Aol,CBS News,Reuters. Reports say Republican officials are expected to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court CBS News,Reuters,U.S. News & World R….
View all 100 sources
Wire services (9)
Independent coverage (50)
CBS NewsBreaking down the decision as court blocks GOP-backed Alabam...
BreitbartFederal Court Blocks Alabama Republicans Redistricting Plan
One America News NetworkJudges block GOP-backed Ala. map for 2026 midterms
BBCRepublicans in South Carolina defy Trump to reject voting ma...
AOL.comFederal court blocks new Republican-friendly voting map in A...
FOX10 NewsFederal court blocks Alabama congressional map change
WLWT5Eight states have enacted new congressional maps mid-decade
Free Malaysia TodayTrump redistricting push suffers twin setbacks
EsquireTurns Out Not Everyone is as Eager as SCOTUS to Make Gerryma...
Democratic UndergroundJudges rule Alabama cannot redistrict and South Carolina Sen...
TribLIVESouth Carolina Senate rejects Trump's call to redraw congres...
Chicago TribuneSouth Carolina Senate rejects Trump's call to redraw congres...
WKRG News 5Alabama redistricting battle continues after court ruling: I...
TwitchyCourt Smacks Down Alabama Map That's 'Tainted by Intentional...
AxiosJudges block Alabama's congressional map switch
Washington TimesRedistricting blues: GOP's new maps blocked in two Southern ...
Slate MagazineThree Judges Just Dared SCOTUS to Say What It Really Thinks ...
MediaiteTrump-Appointed Judges Deal Blow to President By Blocking Al...
New York PostFederal court blocks 'tainted' GOP-drawn Alabama congression...
NYMagGOP's Callais-Fueled Gerrymander Blitz Hits Two Speed Bumps
TheBlazeFederal court strikes down Alabama's redistricting effort --...
The Irish TimesCourt blocks Alabama from erasing significantly Black US Hou...
Talking Points MemoIf SCOTUS Invokes Purcell Principle to Let Alabama Use Discr...
The IndependentSouth Carolina Senate rejects Trump-backed congressional red...
The Straits TimesTrump's redistricting push suffers setbacks in Alabama, Sout...
WKBNFederal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional dist...
Common DreamsCiting 'Intentional Race-Based Discrimination,' Court Blocks...
The Boston GlobeSouth Carolina Senate rejects President Trump's call to redr...
AolSouth Carolina Senate rejects Trump's call to redraw congres...
CBS NewsCourt blocks Alabama congressional map, saying state intenti...
HuffPostSouth Carolina Senate Rejects Trump's Push To Redraw Congres...
Mother JonesRepublican-Appointed Judges Just Gave the Roberts Court a St...
https://www.wsfa.comState officials react to federal court's blockage of Alabama...
HotAirCourt Blocks Alabama Redistricting Map, An Appeal is Next
The RootJudges Deliver Stunning Defeat to Alabama's Republican Redis...
timesfreepress.comFederal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional dist...
The ColumbianFederal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional dist...
WHAS 11 LouisvilleEarly voting begins in South Carolina as senators weigh scra...
News 4 JaxEarly voting begins in South Carolina as senators weigh scra...
UPICourt temporarily blocks Alabama's 'race-based' congressiona...
The Daily BeastTrump Judges Go Scorched Earth on 'Racist' MAGA Power Grab
mintAlabama redistricting battle: Why judges rejected Republican...
KMBC 9Federal court temporarily blocks Alabama plan for new congre...
RedstateAlabama Map Fight Erupts Again As Federal Panel Defies SCOTU...
PJ MediaJudges Panel Blocks Pro-GOP Redistricted Alabama Map
AolFederal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional dist...
WND3 judges defy U.S. Supreme Court, demand election based on r...
The Wall Street JournalAlabama Plan for New Congressional Districts Blocked by Fede...
Alternet.orgLegal analysts stunned as 3-judge panel enacts Sotomayor pla...
PBS.orgFederal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional dist...
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