South Carolina’s redistricting effort fails in the state Senate with GOP opposition

BREAKING NEWSMay. 26, 2026, 5:44 PM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionSouth Carolina’s redistricting effort fails in the state Senate amid GOP oppositionSome Republican lawmakers changed their stance on enacting a new map before the midterms when early voting for the June primary began on Tuesday.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey counts votes in the chamber during a break in the Senate's redistricting debate on Friday in Columbia, S.C. Jeffrey Collins / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Jane C. TimmThe Republican-led South Carolina Senate on Tuesday voted against a measure to advance a new congressional map, ending the last-minute redistricting effort in the state for now.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The motion to end debate — which failed with a vote of 20-24 — was a surprise rejection of President Donald Trump, who had urged lawmakers to pass a redrawn map that eliminated the state’s single majority-Black district and gave Republicans a chance to win the seat.The South Carolina House approved the map last week in hopes of putting it into place for this year’s midterm elections. As part of the effort, lawmakers also sought to set another primary election for the affected districts in August. But after early voting began on Tuesday for the previously scheduled June primary, some Republicans changed their mind on the matter.“Neither my conscience nor my common sense will allow me to stop an election that is already underway,” said Republican state Sen. Richard Cash, a Republican who changed his vote due to timing.Following the vote, another prominent Republican condemned the effort, arguing that it was wrong to approve a map with such little review.“A process that properly done took our state senate nine months, 10 community hearings, eight subcommittee hearings, our own demographic analysis, our own work, and contrast that with wh...