South Carolina Republicans won a victory as a federal appeals panel ruled that the state must keep its congressional map intact for the 2024 cycle. The panel had previously found that Rep. Nancy Mace’s district was racially gerrymandered but decided that there was not enough time to create a new map before the June 11 congressional primary. The US Supreme Court is currently evaluating the map, with a ruling expected soon.
The First Congressional District of South Carolina, which runs from Hilton Head Island to the Santee River and includes parts of Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Beaufort counties, is listed as a R+7 jurisdiction by the non-partisan Cook Partisan Voting index. In 2018, Democrat Joe Cunningham flipped the district but lost to Mace by a narrow margin of 1.3 percentage points in 2020. During the redistricting process, state Republicans made changes to the congressional lines by moving around 30,000 black voters into a neighboring district, allowing Mace to easily win re-election in 2022.
The decision by the federal appeals panel on Thursday comes as Republicans face numerous Democratic-backed lawsuits targeting their redistricting gains. House Republicans are also dealing with a shrinking majority in the lower chamber, which is expected to decrease to just one seat due to early retirements. The US Supreme Court heard the South Carolina case on October 11, with Mace receiving support from former President Donald Trump but potentially facing a challenge from her ex-chief of staff, Daniel Hanlon.
The three-judge panel found that Mace’s district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander but cited practical concerns for not implementing a remedy before the primary election deadline. The ruling balances the need for timely elections with addressing issues of racial gerrymandering, highlighting the complexity of redistricting challenges. Mace’s district has been at the center of controversy, with liberal activists accusing state Republicans of unfair practices in redrawing congressional lines.
Republicans in South Carolina are attempting to maintain their hold on congressional districts amidst legal challenges and impending redistricting changes. Mace’s potential primary challenge and the ongoing Supreme Court evaluation of the state’s congressional map add further complexity to the political landscape in the state. The outcome of these legal battles will have far-reaching implications for future elections and the representation of South Carolina in Congress.
