The communities share nearly 200 miles of coastline, but the Grand Strand and Lowcountry couldn’t be more different.
One boasts towering resorts, boardwalks, water parks, and a plethora of seafood buffets. The other is known for its history, live oaks, rustic barrier islands, and Gullah Geechee cuisine.
But now parts of both coastal communities could have just one U.S. House Representative instead of two, as state lawmakers consider pushing much of the Lowcountry’s 1st Congressional District into the Grand Strand’s 7th District.
“Nothing against Myrtle Beach, but this is not good for Mount Pleasant,” said Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie.
“Our economy is tied to the Charleston region in a very strong way," said the mayor.
Haynie testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday as the state legislature considers a new map that would redraw South Carolina’s seven congressional districts, just weeks before the already scheduled primary.
The move could heavily favor Republicans as it reshapes the 6th Congressional District now held by Jim Clyburn. It is the state’s only reliably Democratic seat.
Haynie says the new map, “handed to them by a think tank in Washington, D.C.,” ignores community interests.
For instance, he says, Horry County is still trying to find funding for a new interstate, I-73. Charleston County is focused on I-26, which not only accommodates commuters but thousands of shipping containers at Mount Pleasant’s Wando Terminal.
“How does a congressman or congresswoman prioritize one over the other?” says Haynie. “I think it would stretch people thin.”
But more than that, the mayor of the state’s fourth largest community says it’s just not right to redistrict during an election in which roughly 2,000 absentee ballots have already been cast.
“This is not the way to do it in America,” says Haynie. “This is what we see happening in other countries around the world and say, ‘you know, clean up your act’”.
Charleston Mayor William Cogswell also opposes the new map. He released a statement recently with Haynie that reads in part:
“Redrawing Congressional maps on a compressed timeline is not the deliberate, principled process South Carolinians deserve.”
Meantime, Democrats running in the 1st Congressional District primary expressed their concerns during a debate at the Citadel Tuesday night.
“People have already voted and this state legislature is saying, ‘no, let’s just toss them aside,’” said Mac Deford, who’s seeking his party’s nomination.
“Federally, what I would push for is banning gerrymandering,” he said.
The redistricting proposal, if passed, would create a new congressional primary schedule. The primary date would be pushed back from June 9th to Aug. 18th.
