South Carolina GOP leaders repeat mid-cycle redistricting 'unlikely' this session

Republican leaders in the South Carolina Senate on Wednesday poured more cold water on calls from some conservative legislators to redraw the state's congressional districts mid-decade.

Senate GOP Leader Shane Massey told reporters in a lengthy interview that it's "unlikely" off-cycle redistricting will happen this legislative session that starts Tuesday, Jan. 13.

The Edgefield Republican said South Carolina "did its job" when it redrew the state's seven U.S. House districts after the 2020 Census. Those districts are currently represented by six Republicans and one Democrat.

"We're at 6 to 1 right now, and I think if you get too cute with this, that it could very easily go to 5-2 or 4-3," Massey told reporters inside Senate chambers.

Calls increased last fall for a mid-cycle redraw mainly from members of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus and Republican Congressman Ralph Norman of Rock Hill, who is running for the GOP nomination for governor.

That push intensified as other red states, including Texas, redrew their districts to shore up Republican seats in Congress. Some blue states, like California, have done the same to try and avoid losses.

But, like South Carolina, not every red state has taken that approach.

Indiana Republican leaders rejected the White House's urging last year to add more Republican-leaning seats to their House map. And Kentucky's Senate president told the White House he's against mid-cycle redistricting, the Lexington Herald Leader reported.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special session legislative session to deal with redistricting.

“It is great to see Florida taking immediate action to ensure their congressional districts are represented fairly. It is past time that South Carolina does the same," Norman said in a released statement Wednesday. “I call on the Republican supermajority to act swiftly to ensure the voices of South Carolinians are heard by redistricting the rigged 6th District.”

The 6th Congressional District stretches from Columbia down to parts of Charleston County and up toward part of Sumter, Clarendon and Williamsburg counties.

The district is represented by the state's lone Democrat, Congressman Jim Clyburn.

Clyburn, 85, is a major figure in Democratic Party politics. The former majority whip was first elected to Congress in 1992.

In a Dec. 28 interview with the Post and Courier, Clyburn said he is taking the redistricting chatter "very seriously." The Sumter native noted he owns property in the county split between his district and Norman's.

“I may run in the 5th," he told the newspaper. “We’ll see how Ralph Norman likes that.”

Separately, Clyburn told This Week in South Carolina host Gavin Jackson on Monday that he plans to disclose his 2026 reelection plans before campaign season.

Filing for state and federal offices opens in mid-March.
 
Clyburn said he's not 100% sure of his decision but added, "I think people will be happy with it when I make it."

South Carolina's map has twice been upheld by high courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the map in 2024.

The state Supreme Court agreed in September.

Republican House Speaker Murrell Smith of Sumter told reporters before the new year that a mid-decade redraw is not a priority for the House GOP Caucus in the final year of a two-year session, which ends the second Thursday in May.

His comment reaffirmed an earlier statement he gave in September after the state's high court upheld the map.

Gov. Henry McMaster also indicated he supports Statehouse leadership, telling reporters in December, "I think that we've done our job. I see no need to start the lawsuits up again."