SC Senate says it doesn’t want to take up redistricting

Key Points:

• The South Carolina Senate, despite pressure from the White House and President Trump, voted 29-17 against amending a sine die agreement to allow middecade congressional redistricting, with several Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.
• Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey and other Republicans argued that redistricting should not be rushed or influenced by federal pressure, emphasizing that the current map complies with recent Supreme Court rulings and warning that redistricting could risk Republican seats and disrupt communities of interest.
• Meanwhile, the South Carolina House advanced a proposed new congressional map and a bill to postpone primary elections to August 18, with runoffs on September 1, despite public opposition and concerns over tight election preparation timelines and additional costs estimated at over $3 million.
• The proposed map, drawn by GOP consultant Adam Kincaid, aims to create seven Republican-favored districts, but some lawmakers, including Massey and Senator Lindsey Graham, expressed concerns it might backfire and increase Democratic representation.
• The debate highlighted tensions between state legislative chambers and within the Republican Party, with ongoing concerns about the political, financial, and community impacts of redistricting ahead of the upcoming elections.